Touhou Departure - Havoc's Hidden Human
by EonLeader
Summary: You're in a land of peace, a land of history, a land of life. You're mates with the best in the business, the gold stars, the powers that be. You've seen them, met them, befriended them. They're spectacularly skilled sweethearts. You know your place, you know their place. So...why are you leaving? Life's great here, right? ...No, it isn't.
1. The Touhou Project

**Touhou Project and its characters are owned by ZUN of Team Shanghai Alice. OCs are owned by the writer.**

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><p><em>'Girls do their best now and are preparing. Please watch warmly until it is ready.' <em>What, exactly, does that mean?

I mean, you can't just 'watch' girls. That's rather...looked down on these days. And how can you watch something 'warmly'? Sight's not a concept that has any known temperature.

But don't worry. I'm not always this literal-minded. Instead, I wonder what it has to do with what I'm reading right now. It was the first line...

The text in question relates to a place where many a battle has been fought. Battles of sheer, unadulterated anarchy. The fights are like none you would ever see in the real world. The skill on show is way beyond normal human comprehension, as each attack weaves its way towards its opponent with intricacy and conviction.

Who do you suppose carries out these battles? Brave, chisel-jawed space fighters, in the pinnacle of technology? The world's army men, fighting for their country on a lonely field?

No. This is all about a collection of young and old girls, in a setting of tranquillity, sparring with not the power of a vehicle or a gun, but their own intuition and ability.

This text tells us more about them than we even need. But most feel it is only scratching the surface. I mean, it's all well and good knowing about these girls, but there's no way to see them in the flesh...that's why people like me have made countless theories about the numerous beings described. We have no idea if they are true.

But we believe all from the man who wrote this down and revealed it to the world. We don't know his name. He never mentioned it. This text is what he named, and what we know as, the _Touhou Project_.

It describes the people of Gensokyo, isolated in the mountains of Japan, left from reality by a powerful barrier. Though home to some humans, it's perhaps better known for its more wild residents – the youkai.

These youkai, alongside many other long-lived super-beings, raise 'incidents', to be solved by their fighters. These fighters are everywhere in Gensokyo. Some are better than others. Some are very, very good indeed.

If you know names like Reimu Hakurei, Marisa Kirisame, Sakuya Izayoi, Yukari Yakumo, Remilia Scarlet, Alice Margatroid, Sanae Kochiya...you know about the Touhou Project.

That's only seven of them. There's many more than them.

They fight incidents of admittedly varying quality. They've fought an incident because of an endless winter, which would be catastrophic ordinarily. But then they've also fought incidents because of a flying boat, which is a harmless curiosity at best.

The most skilled come out to solve these incidents. They always succeed. They make peace with those behind the disturbance. And all is well with Gensokyo again.

I'm sure you'd love to go there, and I'm sure you'd think I'd love to go to. But you and I can't. And even if I could, I wouldn't. Because, right now, my life is great.

I mean, why do I need all these powerful girls in one place? I've got one in my room right now.

Her name's Indy. Right now, I've sucked her onto my PS3 to let her search for something on her favourite pastime, Netflix. (I don't watch enough TV or films to use it myself.)

I am not drawn to her in any way. ...OK, maybe just a little. In fact, I probably am. ...Yeah.

She's brunette with brown eyes. My favourite combo. I could look at her face all day...not in person. That's rather looked down upon these days. But whatever. She's a sweet girl. Someone who I could actually enjoy talking to 24/7.

None of this has anything to do with our own 'incident' we had recently, round her house at her birthday party on Halloween. I don't remember much, apart from finding her, in a bunny costume, next to me, in a leather jacket that was far too large for me...and the hangover we managed together afterwards. It was one of those nights...

I wouldn't technically call us 'together', but it looks like we'll be there soon. She's already shown some flirtiness towards me. But not a stupid amount. That's good, too. She knows what she's doing. And I wouldn't be against it. I wouldn't mind one, having had one taken away from me just a few months ago...my last one moved to Japan. I'd have given a lot to have her back in England...but Indy's not so bad, you know.

"Chaz, can't you choose a film?"  
>"Oh no, I'm reading this."<br>"...You don't have to watch it..."  
>"Tell you what...why don't you choose one I'm not interested in. That way, it won't distract me even slightly."<br>"...Is there any fantasy that won't distract you, though?"  
>"If it's medieval enough...I won't be bothered."<br>"Right. That's fine by me..."

She knows what I do, too. She's a fan of fantasy herself. But I believe what I'm looking at here isn't fantasy. It's reality...just not my reality.

Let's get back to it. The culprits behind Gensokyo's incidents are frequently backed up by allies of theirs, but incidents also commonly give notice to some even more powerful than the original delinquent. The author of the Touhou Project studied their battles carefully, and noticed a set of patterns to each of their colourful and fanciful attacks, which he refers to as 'spell cards'. These are the biggest clue to these girls' backstories and personalities we have. As I said, many have come and tried to make Gensokyo their playground...but they've all failed. It remains a peaceful, though shut off, area of soft calmness and silent beauty.

However, don't think that my interest in the place makes me want to live there. There's no obvious way in, but if there were, I'd still have some qualms. Firstly, it is very much like old Japan in cultural terms. I know this, and I know about the residents, so perhaps this is not as bad a thing as it could be. But how would they take to me? Secondly, and more importantly, my mates live here, in south east London. And I'd be missing them dearly if I stayed for long enough.

Put simply, Gensokyo would be a great place to visit for me. But I'd only think of living there if everything had gone wrong in my own country. Which it really hasn't.

Even my schoolwork's coming along fine. I've got myself set up for Uni next year, and all the coursework I have can be handled at school. So I'm free as a bird when I'm not at school. It's not like this is my only pastime, either...there's plenty more I keep up with. This is something I enjoy more than most though.

I'm not the only one doing this, though. There are many others around who have taken a fervent interest in this look into a world, which we only think exists in our minds. We're crazy, really.

All of us even have our personal favourite girls. Mine? That's a tough one. I know well about all those that are mentioned in the Touhou Project, and I've taken a liking to many of them. A strong liking to some, even. But I'd say the one that has caught my eye better than any other is Yuuka Kazami. Something about her clicks into place more than any of the others. What it is...well...

...No, I'll admit it. It's her shape. At least, what we perceive it to be. It's a curvy one. Really, very curvy...it's pretty all-consuming, if I'm honest. I'm sorry. I'm a late teen. I'm fuelled by testosterone. It's difficult not to notice such things at my age.

Mind you, that's not all. She does have an alluring face to go with, red eyes and all. This is probably just me, but I've found I really rather like green hair. That helps with Yuuka too. And if what the author said is correct, then it would appear that she's rather nicer than some of the rather inhumane actions she's performed in the past, it would seem. I don't mind a character like that, myself.

Obviously, I wouldn't say I actually loved her in anyway. I don't even know the woman. I'm also aware she's one of the youkai. So she's not as young as she looks...but then neither are the rest of them, and that doesn't stop my fellow students of the Touhou Project from doing the same with their favourites.

I know what I'm doing about it though. That being nothing. However, they all want to go out, find a way to Gensokyo at all costs, find their dream woman and live a life of endless joy with them. This is a bad train of thought. Surely they should realise that they have their own lives to live. Gensokyo's residents have theirs, too. And I don't think that the types who've taken pursuit of them will change anything, really.

And like I said, I have my own girl on my hands...I guess.

Indy's now watching that film. Which one I don't know. I wasn't paying attention, of course. I don't really plan on asking her, either. Despite all I said about my favourite 'Touhou' – that's what we've tagged the residents as – Indy's not too curvy. She's pretty...flat, all things concerned. The little black dress she's worn to my house fits her very well indeed, but it doesn't actually hint at all that much. Nice legs, though. She's a decent height, for a girl. 5'7". But it's all OK because she has a face of gold and that's all that's important and it's amazing and aaaagh I'm leching over her too much. I'll be honest, I've probably got a libido too big for my own good. But it's not like I take it seriously, or anything. I take nothing seriously. It's all just banter.

So anyway. I'm looking through the Touhou Project, and there's one entry that's been bugging me. And a few others, actually. I've noticed a character who doesn't seem to have any real information about her. This begs the question; why did the author put her down? She must be important, but maybe her time passed before anything could be found out...either way, we know she exists, but not much else. There is a picture of her, though. A hazel-eyed blonde, bearing red and white clothing of some description – it's not that clear – and with an instrument of some sort. It looks not too dissimilar to a violin. But it only has two strings. So it's probably a pretty shoddy one. But that's just how I see it. As a whole, she looks sweet, yet rough at the same time. That's not a common description for most looks but it's all we've really got of her. I wonder why she's like this. Either way, my bunch who've been studying her need a name for her. We do think our name for her is actually pretty close to her actual one, though; it's 'Rin Satsuki'. However, there's already a Rin elsewhere in Gensokyo, so no one gets it when we refer to our Rin. And a lot fewer people care about this otherwise blank entry than should be the case. So we just keep it to ourselves these days.

...I keep looking closer, and yet it all seems farther away. An hour results in no progress. We could make up theories...but we know they'd be wrong. We don't know what she is. What she could do. What she did. Where she did it. What is probable though, is that she was already gone by the time the author left Gensokyo to go and publish all this. Either that or she's incredibly well hidden. But with some of the beings Gensokyo has around, it'd be pretty difficult to stay that way. Unless she's even more powerful than them. In that instance, she couldn't possibly be gone...

"It's late now, Chaz."  
>"Late? That's an understatement..." <em>The clock says 23:00. She's stuck around, alright.<em> "You didn't have to stay till 11, love..." _I called her that as a tease when we got to know each other. She's accepted it now.  
><em>"Ah, but...I feel better when you're around."  
>"Indy...that's fantastic. I'm glad. I want you to be all good."<br>"Mmm..."  
>"But keep your life in check. Have you liked a guy in that way before, though...?"<br>"...Not as much as you..."  
><em>Aww. She's cute, too...we lightly embrace.<em> "Ha...you are lovely. Remember, though. I'm not your life. Keep your life first, not mine."  
>"...It's just, you're more caring than anyone I know."<br>"...You're a star. You've got a long school day ahead, though-"  
>"With no lessons."<br>"...You've got a long and pointless school day ahead, though..."

We walk out onto the landing. She slips her long, black coat and soft, silky blue-green tartan scarf on. Winter is nearing, it's getting cold out there. She looks...womanly in it. More like an adult than a teenager. I like that, too.

"You know...I'm free this weekend, Indy."  
><em>That brings a broad smile to her face. Which means...<em> "That makes two of us. Round mine?"  
>"Absolutely." <em>So that's our first weekend together booked.<em>  
><em>My eyes lock on her one last time. A little stare. And a warm, cosy hug. I love hugs.<br>_"...Bye, love."  
><em>She silently waves me goodbye, with a soft laugh, and blows me a kiss. I see her turn for one last look.<em>_And that's it for today._

For her, and for me. I wasn't expecting her to stay so long...all that searching for nothing tired me out bad. My parents aren't home. They're staying out late...but, fuck it. I never sleep that often...I think it's massively overrated among teenagers. I think it burns too much time that could be used for something useful. But here...I'm too tired for anything else. I'll just dream sweetly about my new girl instead. The Touhou Project's only for fun, really. I want to force out procrastination over it, slowly. I can start right now.

Back in my bedroom with my single bed. Hey, it really is getting cold at night now...inside, as well. Think I might keep my tracksuit on now...I slip in. My mind's set on Indy. Shit, I might love her one day. Love her a lot. She's really growing on me. Either way, there's no time for other girls at the moment. I'll keep my interest in the Touhou Project, and its girls. However, my reality is headed for Indy. Not them.


	2. I'm Sleeping, Dreaming

I'm...somewhere. Quite where I don't know. It's all very hazy right now. This...is a dream.

Dreams are always a little weird. In fact, sleep itself is a damn weird thing. You don't even feel, or sense, it starting. And you feel and sense nothing until you awaken. It honestly hurts my head trying to grasp it.

I hardly get dreams I can see myself these days. And I only remember small bits of the ones I do get. However, they almost always wake me up straight after. Sometimes, it's because something really bad's happened in the dream. More commonly though, for some reason, I tend to find insane heights in my dreams...then jump from them. Then hit something and jolt myself awake.

What little of these dreams I do see are lucid in terms of actions. I tend to know the people...but not why they appear in them. And the settings start off normal and get gradually unrealistic.

This one, seems perfectly normal at the moment. I mean, this is-

Huh? Is that a train? ...It is. Ah, this is a station. I don't know which one. It doesn't even say which one it is. But it feels like a central London station.

There's no one else around. Just me. The train – coloured in a light to dark blue 'dissolve' – stops. It's pretty knackered. No one's onboard it, either. Not even a driver. Let's not ask questions though. Let's hop on.

It's a state on the inside as well. No wonder no one would ride this train. I take a window seat...and it sets off.

The white platform is replaced by a tunnel. As I gaze through the window, I notice a slight purple tint mixed within the black. But I pay it no mind.

Instead, another station quickly pops up. Don't know what this one is either. There's just white metal planted where signs should be. The train comes charging in, but brakes at a rapid rate. It stops right in front of eight monitors – which show the entire platform...totally deserted. So why has it stopped?

My mind goes straight off that when I see what the monitors switch to. They've all turned to pure white noise. I can almost hear it through the window.

...Then they switch to somewhere else. It is definitely not this station. It's people's houses. Inside them. The eight monitors are all fixed on people - all sleeping. Who are they? This lot...I don't recognise them.

What has escaped me during this time is that this train is...soundless. It's been switched off. Hm.

What do I have on me? I dig into my pockets and feel...my phone. Give it a quick look – why's the time missing? What time is it? I look around on the platform. But there isn't a time there either.

My wallet's in my other pocket. Money and card in it. All reason for it escapes me.

I notice...the door's open. If this train's not moving, might as well ge-

A clatter from the train. A rough but assured one. It's back on. The doors shut before I can even think about it. It takes off out of nowhere, and I stumble back in that silly way no one expects when they're standing on a train. I swiftly hold onto a dark pink pole. Ah! Now I _do_ know where we are...Wait, no I don't. I recognise it. I've seen it before. It's on the tip of my tongue. But _where_?

Right now, back in another tunnel. What was a purple tint in the last tunnel has become a purple colour in this one. It far outweighs the black of an unlit tunnel. I'm irked now. Why purple?

I stop and stare for a long while. It still hasn't ended. And it doesn't...right until I see a shocking sight. This time, it's a station...that doesn't just have no people. It's almost not even a station now. It is completely wasted. One long, abandoned platform. A staircase to a rocky ceiling. Not one piece of light welcomes this ghost station.

The train doesn't stop here. I wouldn't either. Good call, from whoever or whatever is actually driving this train.

The tunnel returns though. And the purple tint has become lighter and brighter. This is properly spooky. Who is doing this? My dreams don't go like this...

This bout of indigo is mercifully short though. The train now pulls into a perfectly fine station. Gleaming all around. Now I really should know where I am. This really does look all too familiar. I just have to...get off this train. Who knows where it'd lead me. From that ride I get the impression it'd lead me on a fast track to hell. This looks like a safe haven, though. A very safe one, at that.

It's still empty as can be, though. So, open the doors as it stops, and an escalator to go up. Walking further, several signs point me left towards nothing in particular. It's just four arrows left. Then another sign, with another four arrows, to the right. A second escalator leads me up. I hear a voice at its peak, from a speaker on the side. But it hits my ears as nothing. I don't know what it says, if it's saying it to me, who it is. However, it seemed rather...casual, if I'm honest.

As I step off, and through some open barriers, I wander out and into a large complex. At that point, I finally realise where I am. It's St Pancras. I really am the only soul there.

Before me lays a totally empty shopping centre, all lit up for me only. I start walking around its perimeter. A lot of it's just cafes, and clothes shops. Some tech stands in the middle. And look, it's the pianos. The ones that people spend their time playing here.

Even here, though, there's a problem. What should be the info boards are still filled with the purple. Again. It wouldn't be wrong to say that it's following me. A colour is following me. Just what.

What's that sound? It's the pianos. They're playing themselves. The tune is eery, in minor. It's not just a colour following me. It's an entity. I can't see it. Don't we all hate dreams like that. Where you can't see what's after you.

Well, whatever, totally regardless of all that's going on, I'm heading up to the upper level. As I turn around, there's an escalator to take me up there. Up we go. Sitting in front of me are four barren platforms. Next to me are another six. One of those is not so barren – one has another train on it. But glass cordons it off. So how do I get to it?

I have to walk around to find a way. A couple more luxurious restaurants on this upper level, and the hotel that makes up most of the building to the right, are eclipsed by that high bronze statue. The one of the couple embracing. Except this statue is not a couple embracing. It's taking on several forms. As I get closer, they become clearer to me. They are all females of some description, all of a description that seems familiar. Again, though; familiar they may look, but I can't identify them to a T.

But as I come right up to observe it, it takes on its real form again. Except it isn't. Those aren't the two people on the statue. The male looks like me. The female looks like...Indy. Wow. It's what I want. Right in front of me. I stop to observe it for a while.

...Only for it to vanish right in front of me. Aww...I was enjoying that. Wait...that wouldn't happen in real life, would it?

Again though, my mind wanders as I notice a huge opening in the glass. Turns out it's a normal gate in. But it's gaping open. I don't even give it a second thought, and walk straight onto the platforms.

That train is still sitting there. And it's huge. Lengthy and slick. Again, I've seen it before. Again, I can't put a name to it. It's...Euro...something or other. It's just not clear enough. Not much has been clear enough in this dream.

Then I see something that is. Something I haven't seen in this dream yet. At the other end of the platform, is another person. It's literally a featureless shadow, but it's right over there, directly in my sight. However, as I'm about to head over, the same person hops on the train. What happens here? Do I go down? Follow him, or her, or it? Was that the one following me?

...Huh. The time has come back. And it's just hit midnight. I'm not gonna argue...wait, that clock's going _backwards_? No, wait, it's counting _down_!

10, 9, 8- the train's doors start beeping. It's leaving! Quick, Chaz, get on!

One burst of speed, and I'm on the train just as the doors seal themselves off. Shit...this is ridiculous.

Now...where's that person? It looks like I'll have to walk down. The train starts moving though, which throws me off a little. I walk down the carriages, and it seems that, unsurprisingly by now, no one else is onboard.

As the train leaves St Pancras, and heads out into the darkness of London – it might as well be midnight, actually – I'm still walking down, and I might be for a while. I was on the very first coach, and this is a damn long train. A loud and shrill jingle goes off. A voice pops up afterwards, but I ignore it outright. I'm just interested in that person. Don't know who the voice is aimed at. What it's saying. Who's saying it. Why they're saying it. How they're saying it. Nothing has made sense here.

After three minutes of walking through barren carriages, I'm one away from where I saw that person get on. I think I should look in first, though, and see if-

No, I shouldn't. Into a tunnel the train goes...but it is not a tunnel. The purple is back. And it's not just a tint. It is all consuming. There's flicks of black and red that I can make out, too. But what hits hardest is the total silence it brings about. From the clatter of the rails outside I could tell I was going somewhere. Now, there is no sound. No movement. Nothing. I am nowhere.

Suddenly, the train starts to angle downwards. It's falling. Here we go. I let myself slip down it as it slowly but surely plummets straight down. But towards what? This purple abyss seems endless. I'm falling faster than the train and crash through the small doors leading to that final carriage. I feel no pain though. I carry right on. I try looking for that person in the short time I have left on the train, but see no one else. I drop right through the last door, out of the train and into the yawning chasm.

There I am. Falling into nothing. It's getting faster and faster though. I'm dropping at a boundless terminal velocity. I immerse myself in it. Embrace it, through my clothes and brunette hair, then every hair on my skin, as I feel the wonderful speed hit me, and I submit myself to this long, long fall. No one around, and I lov-

"**Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaargh!"**

I'm woken up with an immediate and unbearable pain at the back of my head. I've landed somewhere hard...but wait. I'm awake. What? The feeling is overwhelming as I "aargh" and "oww" some more, to no one in particular. I really couldn't remember anything in that dream, could I? Now, with this, I can't even think in the real world.

As the initial pain dies down, I find out what caused it. Needless to say, it's not my usual resting place. A little blood lies on the rock hard cobbles which I landed on. What really brings be back to my senses is what's behind me.

A wooden structure, resembling that of a shrine. And why shouldn't it – because it looks just like the one from the Touhou Project. It's...the Hakurei Shrine.

Mmm. Wait...shit. I'm in Gensokyo? The fuck is this?

No, no, no. I didn't ask for this. Who did this? What have I done to deserve this? I can't stand for this. Not now. I don't want to be here now.

It's completely dark right now, too, and- oh dear. Now the lights have come on inside the shrine. Someone's heard my pain. Sure enough, I hear footsteps inside on the wood, and its door creaks open. Out pops a weary looking young woman. She's wearing a short red-white top, with bloomers, or maybe shorts, to match. Sleeping clothes, basically. And she does not look happy.

I just look back at her stormy face, and I realise who it is. It's someone from that text. Someone really, really important. Sweet faced, brown eyed with brunette hair backed with an extravagant red ribbon. Standing before me is-

"**Owwwwww! **Aargh...arrrggh. Oof..."  
><em>The pain comes back briefly in a short but strong burst. That was an inconvenience. Now, how to explain myself...erm.<em>  
>"Sorry about that, I've just-"<br>"Who the fuck are you?"


	3. A Timeless Classic

"Sorry. Sorry, really, I'm sorry. I don't-"  
>"Why are you here?"<br>"I don't know how I got here. How do I get out?"  
>"Wait, you're one of...those. For crying out loud. Why is she dropping them in <em>now<em>?"  
>"Who is <em>she<em>?"  
>"Irrelevant. That's what."<br>_Er...right...what do I do here...  
><em>"So, er...where do I find...'her'?"  
>"You won't. You don't know where you are. You don't know your way round. It's late. She's sleeping now. So don't try."<br>_She's a stroppy one. But then you would be too, if you'd been woken up at...some time in the morning.  
><em>"What time is it anyway?"  
>"3 in the morning."<br>_Ah...shit. That really isn't on.  
><em>"Then I do apologise for this. And...er, is this 'her' doing?"  
>"What, do you even know her?"<br>_If you flicked up a name, maybe..._ "No. You haven't even said her name. Let's not worry about that though...instead, could you please just give me some help right now? I'm so sorry to trouble you, Reimu-"  
><em>Wait, nooooooooo! Why did you say her name? What are you doing? You aren't supposed to know her...<em>

_That's perked her up now. _"...I'm sorry? You know...my name?"  
><em>...Honesty is the best policy.<em> "...Yes. I've heard about you. Seen you in books, and stuff."  
>"No one knows about Gensokyo outside of Gensokyo. Don't be ridiculous."<br>"No, seriously, there was someone here, and he got out, and wrote a text...a really long one. About all he claimed to have seen."  
>"...There was a good writer here once, come to think of it. He did get out...we let him out. He was the type to learn all about the place. You say though, he's actually telling people about this."<br>"Yes, it would seem."  
>"...Fuck. There's nothing I can do about that, then..."<br>_Reimu might seem rather surprised by this. It's difficult to tell through a still pissed-off expression, though.  
><em>"Well, since you clearly know so much about Gensokyo, I seriously doubt you need my help."  
>"No, no, no...I don't know my way around. I know the places, but not where any of them are..."<br>"What do you have on you?"  
><em>Wait...fuck. What do I have? There wasn't crap in my pockets...what do I do-wait. No...there <em>is _something in my pockets. Huh? How?  
><em>_In I go, and there is...my phone in the right. And my wallet in the left. Just...what._

_Reimu stares very longingly at my wallet. As if she wants to steal it. _"You're alright. Your stuff's on you. You can go."  
>"No, can I have a map?"<br>"You'll find a place to stay easily. There's housing in most places from here. Just hope you're a good walker..."  
>"I do it plenty. And quickly, too."<br>"That's a start. You'll also spot some pretty noticeable places you could go, all of which might be threatening...or they might not."  
><em>Please, Reimu...not now.<br>_"I've heard. Look, though, this is all bull, I'm sorry for all this, do you want, like, a small donation or any-"  
><em>That's really got her up now. <em>"Stick it in. Now."

_Well...it's a pound coin. That won't be any use here, I feel. I'm not exactly sure a bureau de change exists in Gensokyo. As a spellcard, maybe. As a place to exchange money...no.  
><em>_Right, I suppose I'd better try and get somewhere. _"Thanks, I suppose..."  
><em>Reimu flat out blanks me. So, I turn to leave and-<br>_"What's _your_ name, anyway?"  
>"...Chaz."<br>"...British accent there, right?"  
>"Yes. I'm English."<br>"Hmm...that's nice. But, Chaz..._do_ you know who got you here?"  
>"...Absolutely not. You seem to know her, right?"<br>"I do."  
>"What's her name?"<br>"You'll find out."  
><em>Really. Will I.<br>_"'Night, Reimu."  
>"Good night, Chaz. Please don't wake me the fuck up ever again."<br>_I snick a laugh. Reimu's the deadpan type...I like deadpan types. They don't take shit...although I gave it to her._

_Reimu heads back into her shrine, and peering inside I notice a blonde-haired girl, who's managed to stay asleep through all of this. Impressive, I think, as Reimu hops into her bed _with _her. Whoa...a little unexpected. She's not my concern now, though. What it is, is the question...where the fuck am I?_

* * *

><p>I have to find somewhere else. I'm not bothered at all by what it is. It just has to be something. Reimu, though...she was not the most Japanese of shrine maidens, was she? Much less old Japan, much more...modern world, actually. If she's not the only one I might be able to get on socially here. Which means I could get away with a couple of days here.<p>

Not that I want to, or anything. I'm aware this isn't even close for a human as feeble as me to wander around. Still...I am here. I should at least get something out of this. Really though, I can have my fun, but I need to find that one that Reimu mentioned. The one she reckons brought me in. Evidently she can get me out again – except I don't know who the hell she is.

The time is 3:16. I already feel close to civilisation. I just don't know how close. In any case, this is really not ideal. A rude and painful awakening which also led to another rude awakening and I am really not in a fully active state. The pain is gone now, at least.

For now though, it's been a lot of cobbles on the surface surrounded by utterly silent nature. And I mean silent. I am the only sound around. But I know I can't just stop. I must find somewhere, I think, as the ground starts to smooth out.

As that happens, almost on cue, it is right there. The Human Village. There isn't a soul here. Only me. It is as quiet as can be here. Literally, almost too quiet...freakishly so. This is where I should stay. Yet it feels completely...surreal. Not the right sort, either.

I walk through the village, over rather more solid ground than before. Virtually every building is Japanese-style, a good majority wooden. Some are made of stronger stuff, but all in all, the oriental feel is very real here. It's not actually as out-of-date as I'd have thought, probably not so much that it'd be unmanageable. It's not on nodding terms with the world I live in, though...I'd struggle to live here for so long.

If it's this still right now, there can't possibly be anyone awake. I don't want to ruin this perfect if abnormal silence. It would just be so wrong. And I've already woken up one resident. Let's not repeat ourselves there.

I'm not giving in, though. I'm not just sleeping out here. That would be uncomfortable, and would probably cause an even bigger ruckus than if I disturbed another person. Or just walked in and slept in their house, for that matter.

This is a truly terrible idea. I've heard that Gensokyo can be really rather bad in its more natural habitats. But I'm going to find somewhere else to stay for the night. As long as I can get back here by tomorrow. I'll be fine to find a place then. The question is...where? And where is it?

The right looks much more open. There's an absolutely ridiculous forest up ahead and going there will likely do me no good at all. So. Right it is. To...a completely open path. A long one at that. God above.

The time is 3:16. S- Wait, no it isn't. It was 3:16 last time. That's impossible. My phone's clock has stopped. How fucking great is that? Really. Hold on, did I see someone before I looked at my phone? ...No, I didn't. I thought there really was someone there just before I left the Human Village. Seems not, though. Just a hallucination. A want for someone to be out here, somewhere.

After a long walk down an even longer path, I finally have a choice – there's a right turn here I could go down. However, I can see clearly now what is ahead on the straight path. It's a series of what appear to be small huts and a couple of tents. It looks a fairly nice place, but crucially what it doesn't appear to have is any form of housing. To the right, any potentially threatening woodland isn't too close to the path itself. So, even if I don't know what else there is down there, I'm gonna take the chance. And turn right with it.

Twisting along the path, I'm thankful that the walk to the next fork is much shorter this time. The choice is also easier; this time, to the left is a stone building that is completely in ruins. Trying to stay there would be like trying to stay in a prison cell, in all probability. If I'm not mistaken, there might be some inhabitants in it...how they manage that I will never know. So, continuing on, I go right. Again.

That forest is starting to surround a little bit, but it's still pretty clear as I go left, right...another fork and no way am I staying right this time because the forest over there is dense as hell. So, if I go left this time I find...oh...my _god_.

Before me is a grand looking scarlet mansion, standing tall and sticking out like a sore thumb in the green of Gensokyo. It doesn't feel out of place, though. That may be because it looks very European. It's a style that looks more ordinary to me. That said, it's in a space where it feels like it really belongs. It seems a contrast to the other sights I've seen, but here by itself it looks fantastic. Gaudy it might be, but it all seems so...complete.

Its tallest point is a clock tower. The time on that shows...3:16. What. It's not just my phone. Something is wrong with time itself here. You know when someone asks, "Where has the time gone?" Here, it looks like it doesn't.

After I ponder this, and finish gawping at this wondrous sight, I notice in front of me – the gate is open. Not very open, but there's definitely a gap. There's someone right next to it, though. Redhead, wearing unmistakably oriental clothing. Is it even Japanese? It seems she guards this gate. She's sleeping right now, though. Should I? This place seems brilliant. I'm a brave man. And if I'm sticking around, I might as well do all I can. Let's give it a shot.

I sloooooowly head over. The gatekeeper's barely even moving. Barely anything has moved out here...time, people, nothing. She stays right there. Steady with this gate now. I sneak in, behind the stone walls around and yes. Into a superb garden – but I don't give it much notice. All I'm interested in is what's in front of me. I know what it is. The Touhou Project makes mention of it almost constantly. We talk about this place and its residents almost non-stop. Well, I don't. It gets a little tiring after a while. Lots of people I know love this place, though. This is the Scarlet Devil Mansion.

* * *

><p>So...in we go. With the mansion dimly lit up, I first step into a room with two staircases up. The ceiling is well, well above me. However, I then see another room straight ahead. I'm thinking that way, somehow. I quickly wander in, too quickly for me to do anything but silently stare at...another person.<p>

Standing in the middle of a strangely lit floor, facing away, is a silver haired, braided woman in what is, beyond any doubt, a maid outfit. Blue, short sleeved, perhaps even a little short in general. She's showing some lovely long legs. She's right there, and even from behind I can tell, this might be a pretty one.

"You liked my trick, didn't you?"  
><em>Oh, hello<em>. "What trick? I haven't even seen you."  
>"Come on. Did you not notice the time?"<em>, she says with not even close to a Japanese tone. In fact, it's closer to...home.<br>_"Yes. There wasn't one, really."  
>"Exactly. Because I stopped it." <em>What?<em> "Imagine that. Having...all the time in the world." _She turns herself around. A very fine-looking, blue-eyed face, a similarly fine body as well. She gives me a sweet little smile. _"You're very good, you know."  
>"Steady on..."<br>"Ha! Not like that, silly. It's just, you decided to come _here_ first. You're mad, mental. And that's a good start to life here. Much better than the other outsiders. They just sleep on the streets, or nick someone's house to sleep in. Surprisingly, they don't get on well with the locals after that..."  
>"Well, I'd already woken up someone else."<br>"...Who?"  
>"Reimu Hakurei."<br>"Ouch. Talk about a hard landing."  
>"And it hurt as well."<br>"Hah." _Her accent is one I definitely recognise._

_"_I'm Sakuya Izayoi. Welcome to the Scarlet Devil Mansion. You?"  
>"Chaz. I don't really know what I'm here for. I was trying to find somewhere to stay."<br>"Aww...that's cute. Don't try and stay here"_, she suddenly frowns. Then perks up again, as if it was just banter._ "You seem the type interested in this mad place, though. That's why you're here."  
>"...Yes, actually. I know about Gensokyo. Pretty well, I think."<br>"Do you? So you knew your way here?"  
>"No."<br>"Did you know who I was? What this place was? What everywhere else you've been so far was? Who Reimu was? Anything like that?"  
>"Yes."<br>"...Sweet. Follow me. You'll love this." _Hmm? Where to? Either way, I'm not complaining. Sakuya leads me off to a room to the right. Those lights are pointing at several entrances to other rooms._

_She and I head down one corridor and into a checkerboard-floored room, what appears to be a dining room.  
><em>"So...Chaz. What part of England did you fall here from?" _?! She recognised my accent, too.  
><em>"You noticed? London. South East."  
>"Ah, the big city itself...what I'd kill to return to the Isles myself." <em>The 'Isles'? So she's...<br>_"You're from..."  
>"Look, before I go into it, can I just ask."<br>"Mmm?"  
>"How much do other people who...know of me, think about me, my identity, ability, past, name, species, and all that?"<br>"...A lot."  
>"Good. Looks like I'll be keeping you a while, then."<br>"What, no time?"  
>"...Yes. I didn't start it yet. It won't last forever, though...so I hope I don't drone on."<p>

_Slipping up one staircase and into another corridor, she then asks me, _"Chaz...what do you think about all those I said?"  
>"Not a whole lot really. Maid at this SDM, who does her job by fucking around with time, and knives, n-" <em>Shiiit! She flashes a knife right next to me.<br>_"Right answer." _She smirks as if it were nothing. The cheeky bastard.  
><em>"...Thank you. Now, early 20's..." _Another nod_. "Human?" _Yep.  
><em>"That it?"  
>"Yeah. I'm not...how can I put this, not that bothered about your background anyway?"<br>"Aww...so sad." _And a mock sad face to match. Replaced by that tender smile again._ "The others, then?"  
>"It'd be easier to list their thoughts one by one."<br>"...Fair enough. I'm honoured."

_Through, through this corridor, left...  
><em>"First then, Chaz?"  
>"Some thought your mannerisms and level of ability seemed like that of a human living for more than a hundred years."<br>_Sakuya knows what that implies. She's not happy about it_. "Rude bastards. Is it because of the grey hair, as well? I bet it is."  
>"No, that's considered normal here."<br>"Aha...you'd be right."  
>"And you're a time stopper, correct?"<br>"A bit more than that. I've got nearly the 'full works', so to speak. For instance, I can speed it all up."  
>"Like they do on some videos, and usually turn all their voices into chipmunks." <em>Hah...those amused me, like, 7 years ago.<br>_"Yeah, I think. It all tends to get a bit funky if I do that. That's OK sometimes, though, if it's for a bit of fun. Naturally, I can also slow it all down or, as I'm demonstrating right now, stopping it completely."  
>"Shouldn't I be stopped to you as well, though?"<br>"No. I decided to keep you along for the ride." _She laughs a little. I just smile and shrug._

_Into one of the many rooms littering these corridors. Plenty of books on one great big bookcase in the centre of this one._ "So can you reverse time as well."  
>"Impossible. I'm a time manipulator, not a time machine."<br>"But wait...if you've stopped time so much, how long have you _actually _been living for?" _I raise my eyebrows in question.  
><em>_She gives me a very marked scowl, though. Clearly unimpressed by that idea. _"Nice idea, bitch. Actually, time doesn't even move then so I am still 23 years, 7 months and 7 days old, thank you very much."  
>"...I'm sorry...it's not my theory..."<br>"Of course it isn't. Your bunch heard it from someone else."  
>"...Who?"<br>"Hieda no Akyuu. She's the bitch that made up all those bullshit theories and condemned me to 6 years of doing fuck all but sitting around here, doing my job, rather than having any fun."  
>"Wait, is she the one who wrote..."<br>"What you heard about the place from? No. She's never left Gensokyo. What happens here stays here...unless you get out. Evidently someone has, which is not too bad in my honest opinion. I suppose it's for the better if the outside world knows about it somehow."

_Up, up, up, up, up a whole clutch of staircases..._ "So, could you name the other theories then?"  
>"Yep. The worst one was when she called me Lunarian. Has that been thrown around your bunch?"<br>"...Indeed it has..."  
>"...Fuck that. I'm human through and through. I don't even want to be close to those shut-in Lunarians in that forest. Especially after I went and beat them...I'd rather be a psycho than a Lunarian scum."<br>"You seem vocal on this matter...but you said you beat them once? They were supposedly responsible for one incident."  
>"Indeed. They stole the moon once, screwing up the night. Naturally, m'lady was not pleased." <em>I like the way she says m'lady. Brings out that accent. I've established where it, and she, might be from, though that's a rather loose term in this case.<br>_"Your lady?"  
>"Remilia Scarlet. She's a vampire. I serve her."<br>"You're working for a vampire? How did it come to that?"  
>"I'll get right to that."<p>

_We now head outside and get ourselves a great view of the other side of the gardens, and a lake that lies behind it.  
><em>"I'll point out something else Akyuu said. She made out that I was a vampire hunter and that Remi defeated me, and took me in. Again, she is wrong, mostly."  
>"They said that too."<br>"Figured. I am part of a family of hunters. Not vampires though. All youkai. I was at a young age, still training hard, when I first met her, in what was the next in a series of many, many moves that many, many of my family members have made over many, many years."  
><em>On the other side is another large room – and someone is lying in the bed in front of us.<br>_"There she is." _A__lready sleeping softly, she is still as__ time is right now._ _Short with hair in a sort of light-blueish-purple, if you can imagine that. She looks young, to say the least._ "All 500 years of her." _Nope, she's not young. _"She came round where me and Dad had been since I was born, to Ireland." _That's where the accent's from. I like it._ "Said she wanted us to work with her where the SDM was back then, Transylvania."  
>"Where else would a vampire be, eh?"<br>"Too right. Except her claims to be descended to Dracula are completely untrue."  
>"Why are you here now?"<br>"Well...Dad got killed upon our arrival at the SDM. Our entire family's number one enemy got him."  
>"Shit...I'm so sorry."<br>"No need to be. He and I are just part of a family tree that's been running away from one youkai."  
>"Oh god. Should I ask who it is?"<br>"She lives here. You should know her..."  
>"Nobody has said anything about this...this is all stuff that never even got mentioned in our one big introduction to this whole land."<br>"Ah...clearly that man didn't know it all."

_Now we head down numerous staircases, out of Remi's room.  
><em>"Remi took me in her care after that. She told me that if I did everything she asked of me, she and I would get that youkai one day. She might be a vampire, but m'lady has been the warmest anybody could be since then."  
>"Ahh. But how long have you been <em>here<em>?"  
>"Since 1998. We went there shortly after we first met. She heard about this land with youkai aplenty to train on. She'd also heard of a fellow vampire who was getting on well here and moved it here by changing fate. That's her power."<br>_This is why we didn't believe _all _of what the Touhou Project's author said. Something is bugging me here, though..._

_We now head into a stupendously well-stocked library. There are enough books to boggle the mind here, if you look normally. However, I'm not really looking at such a spectacle right now. Because... _"You haven't told me who the youkai is yet."  
>"You haven't heard of her though, you said."<br>"You said she lived here. Can't you just tell me her name?"  
>"Do you plan on meeting her or something?"<br>"No! She killed your father."  
>"Good. Because it's Yukari Yakumo."<br>_Wait. Wait. Wait. I most certainly _have _heard of her.  
><em>"Way back when my family first decided youkai shouldn't be a thing, they were doing a stellar job of it. They were taking some properly big names. This meant the youkai caught on. And they didn't take shit. They just sent in their biggest guns straight away. One of those was Yukari Yakumo. She's one of the few still around. And she's the one who's been clinging onto my family for what we reckon to be about the last 1,000 years." _I suppose Sakuya can grasp that sort of time...but I can't even begin to think what it'd be like to be stalked for that long. _"It's supposed that she's not the only one of her kind, either...however, it appears that those others haven't 'found out' their power yet. So that helps, too."  
>"But if she's right here...what the fuck are you doing here? Why aren't you getting out of here right now?"<br>"She can't kill me here." _? That's thrown me off.  
><em>"What do you mean, Sakuya?"  
>"Do your bunch make any mention of the 'Spell Card Rules'?"<br>"Ah...yes, they do."  
>"That's what keeps me alive. They were brought about in 2002 after one high-profile death and one high-profile 'career-ending', so to speak, injury. The lattermost of these involved a bunch of vampires. Remilia was among them. That's why I owe her as well."<br>"Well...that's a damn unorthodox way to do it."  
>"It is. And I love it. Course, the only problem is, it means I can't actually hunt youkai properly. So I 'exterminate' them instead. That's the term. Many others partake in it. It's just the most fun thing. After Reimu and her mate Marisa dealt with us all, they let me help in the next incidents...I solved them both."<br>"Damn...you seem like one of the best in the business."  
>"I was...until Akyuu decided to tear my image apart by claiming I wasn't even human. I suppose that makes her my number two enemy, now. Remi thought it best for me to stay behind. But recently, my...replacement, relatively speaking, has decided it best to not actually bother with this whole 'exterminating' thing. I told Reimu and Marisa that the most recent incident was affecting me. Something with my knives. I went with them, and I had more fun then, than I had done for the past 6 years combined. I love wasting those monsters."<p>

_Downstairs is the library's lower level. The number of books here matches the upper level. Meaning, there's a shit-ton here. _"I wonder who that one you replaced was."  
>"Oh, you'll definitely meet her one day. If you stay at the Human Village, and trust me on this, you do. Don't stay here. All you'll do is be a nice drink for Remilia."<br>"I'm sorry, what?"  
>"She's a vampire. She'll take your blood. You don't want that, do you?"<br>"Aagh...nooo..."  
>"Anyway, Chaz. Stay at the Human Village. You'll meet that girl. She was an outsider once, too. I also shop down at the Human Village a lot. So you'll get plenty of talk with me."<br>"...You're a good type to hang with, Sakuya. I like how open you've been about all this."  
><em>A little blush from Sakuya. And me, if I'm honest.<br>__No, Chaz. She's 23...don't actually go for her. That's not right._

_Now, though, we're retracing our steps.  
><em>"You seem to know a good deal already. I reckon you'll do a good job here."  
>"I don't want to stay though. I have a fine life to deal with. I can't just disappear like it looks like I've done here. I even have a girl on my own shoulder right now."<br>"Aww...you're a player, then?"_, she says as she grabs my cheeks with another beaming smile on her face. I smile with her.  
><em>"Hah, I might be..."  
>"...That's good. Very good."<br>"Hmm? How so, maid?"  
><em>A little laugh. She likes being called that, somehow. <em>"Aha...I guess you'll see." _That doesn't answer my question...I won't debate Sakuya's thoughts, though. She's a lovely lass._

_Where is she taking me now?  
><em>"You know, you're gonna have your work cut out to get out."  
>"In what way?"<br>"You have to find someone to get you out again. The only person who can do that is...Yukari. It's quite likely she forced you here too, by the way."  
><em>That solves that one then...<em> "But where exactly is she?"  
>"Good question. I don't know either. That's typically because she cruises the whole of Gensokyo and the whole of the world. Supposedly she 'lives' on Gensokyo's borders. Good fucking luck getting there, though."<br>"She seems like a right arsehole, this Yukari woman."  
>"You don't say? In your case though, that holds true too. Since getting into Gensokyo yourself requires materials that literally only a few souls can get a hold of, as well as a house in, or a flight to, Japan, she 'keeps it fresh' by bringing in new people, from literally anywhere in the world she can find. These people suffer massively as they find themselves stuck in a world totally unsuited to them, with no way out. It's rather diluted the place, if I'm honest."<br>"Why me though. Does she know that I know about Gensokyo?"  
>"No. She chose you at random. But Yukari thinks outsiders don't know about this land. You do, though."<br>"So..."  
>"If you can handle this place, and find her, you could really fuck her up."<br>"What? What do you mean? Am I supposed to, like, actually fight her or some shit? Because I'm really not looking for that-"  
>"No. A mental fuck-up is fine for me. Anything against her will do." <em>Man, Sakuya is dead serious about this. She's seen something me...she's the type I'd be happy to help.<em> "Also, Chaz...I will say..."  
>"Huh?"<br>"You're a really approachable type too. You're interested in all of this, I noticed. That's a real breath of fresh air. An outsider who's actually heard of, and is like some of us. I think that's awesome." _Another laugh comes out. This is all so comforting. She could really help me get through this._

_We're still going through the rooms...but now, she seems to be angling herself towards one. Her own, perhaps?  
><em>"Chaz...we might already be on pretty good terms, but I will say one more thing about me and my family, in general."  
>"Go on, fire away."<br>"Because my family get chased and killed so much, I have been encouraged into...shall we say, rather 'loose' attitudes to...sex." _No problem with that. I keep listening._ "I mean, it's been common practice for my whole family...if it weren't, we'd have been gone in weeks."  
>"I see. Well..."<br>"Is that alright with you?"  
>"...Oh, it's perfectly alright. If anything, it's a little bit different, in a...good way..."<br>"Ah...is it now?"  
>"...Well, yes..."<br>_No, hold on. She's advancing a little. Oh god. What did I just do.  
><em>"Hmm, if you say so..."  
>"...No, that's not what I meant, Sakuya."<br>"No? Chaz...don't you need somewhere to stay the night?"  
>"Sakuya...can we just not."<br>"I haven't said anything yet, god..." _She chuckles a little at this, too_... "I mean, it's just...I know the spell card rules are here and all, but somehow, something tells me. They could be gone by tomorrow, even if I stopped time or something. It's all so worrying..." _Ah, she's got worries behind her...like me. _"It's probably just paranoia really. But really. You must sleep somewhere. If you just...sleep, sort of, with me...I hope that's OK..." _She strokes my face softly, in that cozy smile of hers.  
><em>_This has escalated quite badly. But I won't argue. This is Sakuya here. I'm looking at her soft, rather blushed in embarrassment, and I'm seeing a very attractive lady here. Evidently, that family of hers has some more good genes, too. She's been blessed with such a wonderful body. A subtle yet well-endowed chest, moving down to some really rather remarkable hips. They match up with her long, luscious legs so, so well.  
><em>_She's not bad, is she? Surely she means no harm.  
><em>"Alright. I'll think about it."  
><em>She jumps up with a little joy. That's definitely brought her some cheer. <em>"Ah...you're welcome, Chaz."  
>"Haha. Thank you, Sakuya."<br>"That's my room there. Shall we head in?"  
>"Yes, let's."<br>_She turns and walks more seductively now. Very nice. She reckons I'll still go further though...victory will not come so easily, maid._

_Her room has about what I'd expect from her; wardrobe, desk, bed, drawers, knives etc.  
><em>"I never asked how old you were, Chaz."  
><em>Oh...right. Do I lie here? Truth? Lie? <em>"18." _Somewhere in between, then.  
><em>"Ah...that's about good enough." _Half-lying is the answer.  
><em>_She sorts out her desk. There's one more thing I have to_ _ask..._  
>"Sakuya...quickly just one more thing."<br>"Yeeeees?"  
>"You're Irish, yes?"<br>"Mm-hmm."  
>"Sakuya Izayoi's not a name from there, surely. Do you have another name? A real name?"<br>"Sakuya Izayoi."  
>"No, your <em>real <em>name."  
>"...Sakuya Izayoi."<br>"Yes, I get that. Is that what you were born as, though?"  
>"It's my name now."<br>"_Now_? What was it before?"  
>"Irrelevant."<p>

_Sakuya takes her knives off those straps she keeps on her legs. _"On the legs, eh?"  
>"Yeah. You might have noticed them." <em>A cheeky wink from Sakuya. Wouldn't expect less from her now.<br>__I just want to go to bed now, though._ "How long, Sakuya?"  
>"Just wait, Chaz. I'll be ready for you in a minute." <em>I wasn't doing anything, fuck's sake...<br>__At that moment, she bends down for something. The maid's short dress doesn't cover enough skin...so I get a free view of her derriere. Ooh, it's plump. Very, very nice.  
><em>_I'm getting rather excited by it, if I'm honest. _"Nice view, Chaz?"  
>"Yes. Very."<p>

_She picks herself back up quickly though. Aww, I was enjoying that...she's slyly smiling. From nowhere, she pecks me on the cheek.  
><em>"Thanks..."  
>"Admit it. You're the sort. You do want me, don't you?"<br>"_No._"  
><em>She doesn't seem fooled. For crying out loud. I do not want you. <em>"Do you even have any spare clothes? For sleeping?"  
>"No. I was in these, when I was sleeping back home."<br>"Ah, OK. You don't need them, then." _Sigh. I only wore them this time because it was cold...alright, I'll get them off._

_Sakuya now starts to take her maid outfit off. Her body is now on full show. It is glorious. Her hips are particularly alluring, now they're in full view. She seems interested in my body, too. Even though it's not that good...I'm not the exercise type. It's slim, and smooth, but I wouldn't call it appealing.  
><em>"Your face is so cute, Chaz." _No, I was way off target. __That sounds better.  
><em>"Yours is better. It's beautiful." _Sakuya sticks a tongue out at that.  
><em>_She's getting awfully up close now... _"Oh, Chaz...please."  
>"We've just met, Sakuya. Let's just sleep."<br>"If you're gonna get Yukari, too..."  
>"Yes, I do too. But I don't have to prove that with sex. I'm tired as heck. I don't want anything to do with your family. That situation sounds really fucking rough."<br>"I didn't say you had to, though..."  
>"Exactly. So, can we please just snooze off."<br>_She backs off a little. She's conceded defeat, it seems. Phew...has she? Is she just pondering something?_

_A small smirk graces her face again. She's thought of something..._ "Chaz...how much money do you have?"  
><em>?! <em>"Are you really selling yourself?"  
>"No, silly! If I give <em>you<em> money...would you?"  
>"I'm not selling myself either, Sakuya."<br>"You're going to be here a while, trust me. You need money now, to keep yourself going here."  
><em>...I might be a little tempted...is it worth it? I don't want to do it, but I don't have to either way... <em>"...just under £20."  
>"Ooh...pounds won't do here, love." <em>So much for that donation to Reimu...<em> "Tell you what, even if you don't wanna, I'll exchange that for you anyway...if you do, well...I'll give you a little extra."  
><em>...Alright, I'll do that. £20 worth of money is better than £0. I'm still not screwing her, though.<em> "Fine...I'll give it a think." _No, I won't.  
><em>"Ahh...that's great. Let's go, then. You want to sleep, anyway."  
>"Finally...I can get some rest. Thanks for all this, Sakuya."<br>"You're very welcome, Chaz."

* * *

><p><strong>-Note<strong>  
>Hello there. I'm yours truly, EonLeader, reporting here with a small (but important) notice.<p>

As you might - or might not! - have guessed, there will be somewhat of a sex scene up next in this. I know it seems pretty early, but I will say, right here, it is, for the most part, very much optional. I'd recommend you do read it, but it's not exactly required.

That said, it will, naturally, be posted elsewhere. There are actually a couple of blatant sex ones straggling around here (please don't report them! They're actually pretty good if I say so myself), but I'm not willing to take the risk. So instead I'll be posting what will be considered the next 'half' chapter - i.e. they won't be chapters in their own right - on a certain adult fanfiction .com (**AFF**). I don't even know if I can realistically say that here, but I have to. I won't mention their presence outside of these messages notifying so at the end of a chapter, where necessary.

Now that's out of the way, I hope you are enjoying, and will continue to enjoy, this fanfiction. See you on the flip side.


	4. Actual, Normal Humans

I wake. Sleeping next to me still is the stunning Sakuya Izayoi, who was the most sympathetic of souls towards me in spite of my hard landing, into what was a fantasy but looks like a long reality right now. She even let me in here right now, in spite of her somewhat loose stance on sex. I rather let that show over the night...that was not my thing. It's all nice and cozy now, though.

_With that, her eyes also slowly open.  
><em>"Ah...Chaz...had a nice sleep?"  
>"Absolutely, Sakuya. Next to you."<br>"Ha, you..." _Her smile rises, and she slowly and softly embraces me. I return it._

_She rises, and I observe her stretching herself out a little. Even from the back her body looks shapely. She yawns a little as she sways over to the curtains, still showing her assets. She nudges them open, uncovering a small window. This is all very slow and steady.  
><em>"Ah, this light...it's always nice to see, through here, the break of a new morning-"  
><em>Oh. Oh no. Oh nooooooo. I know what that pause means. I sit myself right up. Looking at the clock on the side...it tells a bad story. A very, very bad story. It tells me...7:36.<br>__Well...there's only one thing to do-  
><em>"...Chaz..."  
>"...Yes...?"<br>"...Get out...**now!**"

_Suddenly I'm forcing myself straight up, rushing to get my clothes on. Sakuya starts doing the same with her blue maid uniform. Wait, why?  
><em>"What are you doing? You don't need to-"  
>"I'm helping you, jeez!"<br>"How?"  
>"Look, I'll get you out of here! OK?" <em>Right...I suppose I'll need <em>_something__. I don't understand this place, anyway...  
><em>"Can you buy us some time?"  
>"No! I ran out!"<br>"Well why did you use it all up before?"  
>"Look...I thought it would be alright."<br>"People will see us, though..."  
>"Yes, they will..." <em>Clearly nothing else is important here. I just need to get the fuck out right now.<em>

_With our clothes sort of on, we head for the exits.  
><em>"Right turn!"  
><em>I just follow anything that Sakuya says, and this leads to a straight. One fork ahead with a sharp turn and a soft ri-<br>_"Right, right!"  
><em>My god, this is ridiculous. She's like a rally co-driver, or something.<em>

"Now, straight down! Follow the path!"  
><em>This I do, too. There's a lot of turns down this one set path, and I see some large, open rooms from the outside of this section.<em>

_Now, though, we come out to one of those sizable spaces, with floors above and one below-  
><em>"Just jump down!"  
>"What?"<br>"**Jump!**"  
><em>Jump? What, that's going too far! Well, it has to be done right now. Here we go...<br>_"Aaa-" _Huh? "_Uh? There was nothing there?"  
>"Space manipulation, love. Still got that left." <em>Oh, there was that, too. <em>_Yeah, that is helpful...bit OP though, no?_

_But what happens here?  
><em>"Turn around! The one on the right!"  
><em>There's a second corridor with an immediate split...<br>_"Left!"  
><em>Turn there, and just-<br>_"Now right!" _Oh, for god's sake! This is just so-_

_But wait! This is the all lit-up room, where me and Sakuya first talked last night! Let's go!  
><em>"Straight, straight, straight, all the way! Go, go, go!"  
><em>Yes, yes, yes! Full sprint, all the way now. Into the front room, out into the gardens, and right there is the gate to freedom. There's no looking back now-<em>

_Oh, wait. That's the gatekeeper I just ran past, standing tall and-  
><em>"**Meiling!**" _My word. What a shout from Sakuya. Right at the gatekeeper.  
><em>_I __turn around and __just pause to see what will happen next. _"_Why_ is there someone who has just run out from our mansion?" _She gives me a quick look, but it seems more irked than usual. That is justified when she mouths to me. "Fuck off!" she says to me, in effect.  
><em>_And, well, in the situation, there's only one thing to do, really. And that is just that. So I pace off at what is now a light jog._

"Why, Meiling? _Why?_"  
>"I...don't know, I mean, I didn't even see him!"<br>"Why? Was it maybe because you were _asleep_?"  
>"Yes, of course! I had to or-"<br>"**Fuck's sake!** That's bullshit. If only there were a gatekeeper actually better than you here..."

* * *

><p>Still jogging. Still jogging. Still jogging. That act Sakuya put on was damn fine, if I say so myself. But as I work back down the path to the SDM, I head back to that fork...and suddenly, the road is no longer empty.<p>

I see here. Real life, actual citizens, going about their everyday business. Well, walking to their everyday business, and there's not much right here, but back at the Human Village there will be. I suppose I had better follow suit and go right there. Just as Sakuya mentioned.

The path down to civilization is followed by pretty much who I expect. A whole clutch of casual to Japanese-dressed civilians, going to and from their daily lives. However, Sakuya was also right about the definite outsiders. They aren't common by any means, but they're noticeable. Their attire never quite seems to match up to the surroundings. Though some look OK about it, others look utterly miserable. They clearly didn't, probably never will, know what was coming. I do, though.

That said, I'm probably in the least suitable attire of them all. Even discounting the fact I quickly stuck my clothes on, wearing an Adidas tracksuit which I was wearing in bed back at home really makes me stick out like a sore thumb. My hair probably looks...OK, not wild. No hairstyle could really be considered wild here, I know that much. But I'd rather it weren't sticking up or messed up to hell.

So before reaching the Human Village proper, I sort my hair out into something that might pass as socially acceptable. I can't tell myself of course, since I can't see it. I'm in now, though. And it is bustling.

The time is now 8. (At least that's working properly now...) So looking at the people all around, it's clear that I've reached the peak of the early morning here.  
>I have to say, wearing this feels a bit embarrassing now. A couple more outsiders here, in the same state as the ones previous. That is, to say, wildly varying.<p>

Here's the question, though. What do I do? I clearly have to find someone to give me housing. But who might that be? I haven't heard of anyone who actually does that sort of stuff here.  
>Also, I never did get that money from Sakuya. So I'm doubtless unable to afford anything. They don't take pounds...<p>

Then again, a visit to the Human Village is part of her routine, I believe she said. So let's hope she remembers, though she's obviously had a delay in the form of that gatekeeper...eh, Meiling, was it? Ah...well, I hardly knew ye.

For now though, there is, once again, only one sensible thing to do. And that is...absolutely nothing. Literally. I just have to sit and wait for someone, or something, to give me their cash for my cash. Oh, and there was that money on top that she's giving me for...well...

Mind you, if there's one thing I wanted to come here for, it's to observe. So I'll do that. See if I find a face I recognise. Or just watch what others do and/or what is most popular, at any rate.

* * *

><p>Half an hour of walking around. I've noticed mainly a large building where a lot of children go – undoubtedly a school. Since it is a Thursday...<br>...yes, it is. I should be at school myself today. Oh god...how the hell would I explain this? To all the people in my life?  
>However, now I also see some other adults going into it from the other side. So what's there? I'm not sure I should look now.<br>There was also another shop that, said some people, was 'getting quite popular'. Plenty of people coming out with books – must be a library.

Apart from that, there are a great deal of shops selling all manner of things. We've got food, drink, clothes, furniture, flowers and much, much more. So it's all perfectly civilised, just a bit old-fashioned. By my standards.

However, I reckon the main attraction is a little bit outside the village itself – it's a bloody great temple where I notice a good few people were visiting prior to starting their day outright. Signs of religion, obviously. I have no interest in the topic...I'll just take the one with the least fuss, if I have to.

The Human Village itself isn't a difficult place to get around. I go around London a lot, and this concentrated area reminds me of Soho. There, it is always quicker to walk to wherever you're going. But, like London, Gensokyo is not just the Human Village – as I'm already aware. However, in London, you just hop on the underground or the bus. There are no buses (or any other transport, come to think of it) in Gensokyo and the only underground I know here is filled with the land's nastiest motherfuckers. Now I don't mind a good walk, but I do mind if I have to do it everywhere. I'd rather my legs weren't falling off after every single day.  
>But after my self-guided tour I crucially still have nothing. So I just sit on a bench, rest, and wait.<p>

Oh, yes. There were a couple of ones who I might have seen in the Touhou Project. But they weren't human. They were mostly young-looking ones who wandered about, being generally harmless. They aren't the sort I'm interested in at all.

However...I'm sitting here, looking, and I see someone else who I know. This one's different, though. Better. A mostly light shade of green hair, long and flowing. She's facing away from me, but I can sort of make out her light green – plus a small tint of blue – eyes, too. The clothes though...a blue and white shirt and skirt, looks good, but how does she keep those sleeves on? They're not attached to anything.

...Actually, I've noticed something else about her clothes as well. They look like they're covering something lovely as well. It's like a normal body, but better in every single detail. Even from afar, I can tell she's been blessed with captivating beauty. But it's not the sort that's being flaunted. I know it's there. I mean, from what little I can see, I'm struggling to take my eyes off her chest. But the way she's treating it, I know that she knows that it's not what she's all about. I like that a lot. There might even be a bit of brilliance beyond that.

Oh, hang on. She's got a few others with her. And I was still staring at her most ample bits. Oops. With that, I turn away, a sad face forming on mine.  
>Right. Now I have to give her some of my quick glances. Just do it in a way no one might notice, and then I can-<br>Is that a _phone_?! ...Yes, it is! Oh, yes. Such things actually exist here! What a relief.  
>Nah, that's it. I've got to give her a chat. It'd kill me if I didn't.<p>

How do I do it, though? Wait, no. This one's easy. Let me just get my phone out now...right, what do I go on? In Gensokyo, 'signal' is not a phone-based term, I feel...

"Huh? He has a phone?"  
>"Hmm? Oh, yeah, he has..."<br>"Oh, god, here we go..."  
>"Haha...sluuut..."<br>"Sloooot...hehe."  
><em>Wait for it. Wait. Wait...<br>_"Umm...excuse me, that is a phone, right?" _There she is. Her accent is more native than any other here, that I've heard. A soft, high, Japanese tone to it.  
><em>"Yes. It's average."  
>"Average?! Do you not realise, stuff like that is a far cry from average here?"<br>"It isn't where I'm from."  
>"O-oh my, of course...you're an outsider!"<br>"A homeless one, too."  
>"Oh dear...how long for?"<br>"I landed here, from my bed, on the outskirts of London, about five and a half hours ago." _This is technically correct. She doesn't know, of course, how long I've actually been here for. Nor do I, if I'm honest..._

_Those girls she was talking to are making some awfully suggestive gestures. _"Oh...you haven't got money, though?"  
>"Not any I can spend."<br>"Huh?"  
>"Someone's meant to be exchanging it for me. She isn't here, though."<br>"You met someone, already?"  
><em>Only now, I turn my head up to stare at her bre-<em>eyes. _Eyes, Chaz. _"Yes." _She returns with a sort of surprise. Not sure at what. I mean, I have eyes. They're green-blue (mostly green, much like hers). Pretty normal. And there are people here. None of which I've actually spoken to. Again though, she doesn't know..._

_Now though, those – much plainer, I must say – girls are getting obnoxious._ "Sorry, but...what the fuck are those lot doing?"  
><em>Oh, and now they're giving invisible blowjobs. Nice. <em>"Sorry about them, they're just...being themselves, really."  
><em>Sick burn...? Hah, of course I know what they're implying.<em> "...Right. Let them do their jobs."  
>"Aha...anyway, I was going to say, I was an outsider once." <em>Hmm?<em> "There's been many coming in here recently...but they're all just coming in from completely, like, out-there locations. So I can't ever help them that much. You though...London? What's it like there?"  
>"Crowded. Really, really crowded. Home to some really annoying bastards. Typically behind schedule. And sometimes very, very wet. I love it more than anywhere else in the world."<br>"Ah, well, I...see what you mean...I moved with some others, though. You want to go back there?"  
>"I need to. I actually have a life where I have school, mates and stuff. Also, a girl to like."<br>"Ooh...do you?", _she says flirtatiously. Now, come on...you're a beaut and all, but that is too soon._

_The other girls are now laughing themselves too hard to flick any signs. Good...because they're stuff's not working. Because they're not my concern...this girl is, though.  
><em>"Yes, thank you."  
>"Tee hee. But yes...getting out of Gensokyo is, erm, not so easy...I mean, I came for a good cause..."<br>"Not yours, obviously." _Slipping again...well, it makes this stuff go faster.  
><em>"Huh? Wait...you know, though?"  
>"...Carry on."<br>"Umm...right. Yeah, there is only one person I've known that...got out of here."  
>"I know that."<br>"How? Who are you?"  
>"A normal outsider. Who happens to have read the text that man wrote about this land, Gensokyo. That's why I know, and why I know you...Sanae Kochiya." <em>If her face was surprised before, it's in complete shock now.<em>

"E-eh...?! I-I'm...wait, I'm known in the Outside World? ...Do my schoolmates know about me?"  
>"Only if they've managed to find it."<br>"Oh...well, that's OK. I'd cocked it all up at school, anyway." _Ah, so she's like a proper emigrate. _"What's your name, then?"  
>"Chaz. Pleased to meet you."<p>

_I'm not sure what I think of Sanae Kochiya, really. She looks like she fits Gensokyo, and yet she doesn't. That, strictly speaking, is probably about accurate. However, one thing that is believed is that she's one of the most talented fighters to ever grace the land. She came well after Reimu and Marisa, though...so, to put her in football terms, she's not the Messi-like Reimu nor the Ronaldo-like Marisa. She's more like the real 'next big thing', the one who is destined for super stardom, the top of the game. I like those types..._

_...Something always bugged me about her back at home, though. By what the Touhou Project showed her as, she was perceived to have this incredible shape, totally unlike a shrine maiden like her. I disbelieved that every time. It annoyed me, constantly...how wrong was I. The rest of them really weren't wrong...in fact, the author seemed to have it almost completely accurate. Maybe a little too accurate..._

"So, uh, welcome here, Chaz...you said, you've been here since, ah...3 in the morning?"  
>"Mmm. It wasn't the warmest of welcomes, either."<br>"Oh dear...ah, actually! Could you please come with me?"  
>"Where to?"<br>"I've got somewhere for you." _Aha! Might this be somewhere to stay?_

_Sanae takes me to a house at the end of this street. It's opposite the back side of the school, and in the same sector of buildings I note a particularly large store.  
><em>"This is the only free place left. So many outsiders have clogged up all the others recently...however, this house has been off limits for a long time."  
>"...So..."<br>"Gensokyo's sole escapee lived here. However, he left behind a lot of stuff..."  
>"You haven't got rid of it?"<br>"We don't know what might be in there. You say, though, a man wrote about this place after visiting?"  
>"Yes, was it...that one?"<br>"I think so. See, you know about him! If I tell the leader that, you should be just OK to live here."  
>"What, for free?"<br>"Well, you might just become a test to see if people can still stay here..."  
>"Ugh...well, I've got nothing else. Seriously, though? For free?"<br>"Aha...yes, but I suppose I wouldn't mind a tip...a little, say, donation, if you will..." _She winks alluringly._

_At this point, Sakuya finally shows up. So I really will be able to pay her._ "Ah, sorry I'm late, Chaz."  
>"Time still not on your side, then?"<br>"No. Not really."  
>"Right...so what did you do with that, uh, Meiling keeper?"<br>"Knifed."  
>"<em>Knifed? <em>What, she's dead?"  
><em>Of course not, I just realise. Sakuya knows I should know, too. The irked expression she pulls tells me that. <em>"...No, duh...spell card rules, love."

"Where's the money, then?"  
>"Yeah, there's your money..."<em> Old Japanese style money.<br>_"Thanks a bunch, Sakuya." _But... _"Wait, where's my, uh, bonus-"  
>"Hold on, this house? You're going for <em>this <em>one?" _She turns to Sanae._ "Sanae...?"  
>"Yes, he is! He knows the man who lived here before. He should be allowed here."<br>"Really? And how much do you expect him to get this for?"  
>"Free!"<br>"No chance. He's gonna need more money than he has now." _Yes, I do, which is why I want that extra cash...  
><em>"How much, Sakuya?"  
>"...You're going up with his money for him, right?"<br>"Yes!"  
>"Fine. Chaz...here's double your money. Plus a bit on the side. For food." <em>She wasn't kidding, was she? That's not just a bonus...it's more a lottery win at this <em>_moment.  
><em>"Sakuya, he doesn't need...that much..."  
>"Sanae, seriously. Just because of its state doesn't mean it's actually worth nothing. It's a small fee, probably, but you don't decide the fee. The leader does."<br>"If we put him on test, though?" _That term still sounds terrible.  
><em>"Doesn't change anything."

"So, you two...how much is it?"  
><em>Sakuya just splits my money right in my hand. <em>"Two thirds, I reckon. Sanae'll just keep any change, though."  
>"Please donate to my shrine, Chaz!"<br>_Wait, is it actually legal to donate to more than one? I already..._ "I already made one donation to...Reimu Hakurei's shrine, though..." _Her look now is a mix of disappointment and displeasure. But...  
><em>"Well, technically, no, you didn't, Chaz..." _Of course, Sakuya. I didn't really...  
><em>"Yeah, I was gonna say. I donated money she can't use for anything. I only put it in because she looked like she'd probably nick it."  
>"Oh my...aha, that's OK. That's...sweet. Tee hee."<br>"Hope that's all good, Chaz. If you need any more bonuses, just...let me know..." _She winks with that, but...no thank you, Sakuya. The first time felt awful. I don't want to do it again. Fuck the money, I have my rights. _"Bye, Chaz..." _After that, she's gone._

_Over goes that money to Sanae then. _"Trust me, you can keep anything left. You've been such a help, Sanae."  
>"Aww...thank you, Chaz!" <em>She gets a little closer with that. <em>_Her frame doesn't quite reach mine. Still feels above average height, though.  
><em>"You do think that'll really get me in, right?"  
>"Aha! Sakuya was just being a worry. I could get you in for much less."<br>"You said free, though...you're gonna take all that money if it is?"  
>"Tee hee...you'd get it back eventually." <em>Strange overtones from Sanae.<br>_"...OK. So, what, can I just step in now?""Yes, of course! I'll just tell the leader that you're already in."

_With that, it's time to see her off. _"I can't thank you enough, Sanae. This home should be awesome."  
>"Tee hee...you're a nice guy, Chaz. That works for me..."<br>"Wait, one thing!"  
>"Huh?"<br>"You saw my phone, I saw yours...phone number?"  
>"Ah, of course! Anyone to talk to on this is already good with me."<br>_Literally can't believe I'm exchanging phone numbers with someone _here_. _"Thanks...this is good."  
>"I told you, you'll be fine here..."<br>"Please, I'm not going to be influenced."  
>"Tee hee...oh. Just my last question...do you know my power?"<br>"Yes, I do. No, I don't want it."  
>"Ah...that's a good idea. Settle in here and it'll be all good..."<br>"...Absolutely. So, I'll check in this house now...you, uh, pay for it."  
>"Mm. Have a nice time, Chaz!"<br>"Thank you, Sanae. See you soon. Call me later?"  
>"Ah, when I can. Bye!" <em>She leaves with a small wink and a little wave.<em>

_I head in, but I just have to turn for one last look at Sanae. I mean...fuck me, she's just magnificent. Obviously no point in trying anything this early, though._

* * *

><p>Right. What have we got here?<p>

The front room, unsurprisingly, is empty. But wait...what if those drawers are hiding something? A check in them and...yes, there is something here. It's actually just clothes throughout. But they're fine. Some lightly coloured button t-shirts, short and long sleeved. The way the trousers below are give the intended combos uncanny resemblances to a school uniform. Obviously it's just smart casual wear here, nothing wrong with that. There's also clothing closer to Japanese style – wouldn't expect anything less, really. Also, a pair of gowns, for the earliest and latest hours. Nothing in the way of pyjamas...so honestly, I can safely say my wardrobe is sorted.

There's nothing else being hinted at particularly, though. There's a desk here, but in spite of the previous owner's background, you wouldn't guess it had really been used. Clearly he has left no hint of his work behind.

Some small mattresses, for the floor, with blankets, are here, for sleeping. And...oh, hello, is this actually electricity I see? With a little bit of wire. One end fits my phone just right...fantastic. That feels way too coincidental, though...right now though, I can't complain.

So here I don't have much. It's just the bare bones. But it is enough. I need to answer one thing, though. I'm gonna need more money than this...how the hell do I get it?  
>I'm starting a life, forced upon me, that has got running, with help. Tomorrow, I'll think on how I keep it going.<br>Now though, I'll just take it in a little. Right now, I don't need anything. I just want to find my feet some more. So, for the rest of the day, I'm staying around here...


	5. Hello?

It's another day. Up I get. Hmm...the base of this bag did not mask the hardness of the floor. But the blankets were so cozy. Sweet and cozy. Mmm. Ahh.

Time is almost 8. Can already hear the villagers starting to really arrive in the village. 'Peak times', if you will. That's gonna be so noisy. I mean, how did the writer of the Touhou Project bear with this level of noise to start with? Most Japanese do not lead anything close to a loud life. I'm fine with dealing with total loudness – when I'm alive and kicking. Needless to say, I have not reached that stage.

Perhaps that's why Sanae could get it for so cheap. Because it's in the worst fucking place. I had no choice, these bloody other outsiders. There's a way out, I know...

It's a Friday today. That'd be a time of relative happiness normally back at home, as the prologue to two completely free days. I am not thinking about any of that right now.

Nothing on my phone yet. From people I know outside or here. All one of them...

OK. So. What do I do to start? I do still have all the money left that I kept. I didn't spend any of it yesterday. The people here are kind sorts, so they give away small freebies of food. That's what I lived on yesterday. But that's not anywhere near enough for my stomach. There was that shop...if I go there, I might be able to find something fitting the description of 'food'.

Cooking is out of the question though. I always liked it quite a lot...looking at it, that is. I'd be hopeless at it myself. So, raw it is. Or cooked from the stands. I'll find my favourites quickly. There's places like that back home that do individual foods absolutely brilliantly. I'm particularly partial to a bit of meat and chips from that one charcoal grill near my school. I remember once, too, a truly awesome crepe seller in a little stand in Canterbury, when I went there. Just watching him make them was a sensation – yet he also made them taste fantastic. Anything that can do both form and function deserves the highest praise. This way of life in the Human Village, that's the vibe I'm getting here, and that's all very warm and fuzzy. There's a sense of local pride around here. Much like many places in England. So that's fine.

Clothes. I'm going with what's provided...I've never been one for these sorts of shirts though. Actually, that's not strictly accurate. I wear similar clothes at school and in short sleeves, after taking my blazer off, I almost always imagine I look like a super cool businessman. If there is any such thing these days.

Now then. That shop's literally two buildings away. Already a couple of kids arriving at that nearby school, I see. I always think the ones who arrive earliest are the biggest melts. The least popular. The cool kids leave it till the last to get in before being late, in my mind. I have no actual evidence for this, but my mind has formed many generalisations on many different things. If I never used them, everything would take a week to explain.

This is the shop. And there is a lot in there. How much of it would I put in my mouth, though? Let's find out.

I used to be a fussy eater. I have gotten much better with that since, but there's still a fair bit of stuff I'd just look at and decide, 'No, thanks', thinking that it wouldn't taste much good either. Here though, it actually looks quite good.

Actually, this is all familiar to one shop I know. Japan Centre, near Piccadilly Circus. That had all manner of Japanese cuisine in there. I didn't actually buy any of it – the food and drink I bought was more conventional. What I really found there was a (very expensive) artbook – one which someone, somehow got in with pictures of the people in the Touhou Project...they didn't actually look much like what I perceived – or even that great – but it goes to show...it's more out there than you'd think. Certainly more than anyone here thinks or knows.

Oh, speaking of which, here's some reading material. Newspapers, nothing special to me really, but, hey, look! There's some proper, like, comics in here! Seemingly collection-style books and magazines, at any rate-oh no. Noooo. Far too expensive. That'd be good to pass time...if it weren't that much. Not worth it.

Let's just buy something I can live on.

Rice...nice. When it's totally plain. I like it with as little bits as possible. So let's buy the plainest. And the cheapest. That's a start.

Noodles, I see. Now, I like...something like this. A lot. Like, really a lot. Pasta is a candidate for my favourite food ever. On the face of it, noodles share a lot in common...but they're not close, really. Pass.

Rice crackers! Yes please. Great snack. Take them without a second thought.

Ah, now we come to the confectionary...biscuits, chocolate, candy, oh my. I would take everything if I could, but I'm too poor. And stealing it all would be poor form. And virtually impossible. I notice, chiefly, a wide selection of flavours of chocolate closely resembling KitKat. There's so many, I can't just leave them all. Some of these flavours, though, are frankly bizarre. I spot two that might just be acceptable with chocolate though...strawberry or raspberry? I'll take the less sweet taste of raspberry, here.

Now, I have to pick one sort of biscuit...that seems an impossible job-ah! Those sticks, they're like...Pocky, aren't they? I love those kinds of sticks. Well, since I'm already serving myself to a bit of biscuit and chocolate combined, I'll do the same again here. Let's go double chocolate. Mm...intense.

Now I just need a drink-oh, that choice is easy. As soon as I walk up, the drinks aisle is just littered with tea, tea and more tea. There might be a couple of other beverages somewhere, but tea...now, unlike the frankly ridiculous stereotype attached to Englishmen like me, we do _not_ all drink tea as our main beverage. I certainly rather like it...but in recent times I have become more of a coffee man. This, though. Come on. This is Gensokyo. The Touhou Project specifically dedicated pages to the tea parties they host, chiefly after incidents. This tea is truly special. Let's have it.

OK, yes, there's alcohol here. But surely having sake now would be too soon. And the only one I could afford would be absolute shit. I'm good with the strong stuff. Vodka is probably my favourite alcoholic drink. I can handle the sort of sting inside very well. I've tasted many sensations like those in my throat before, so I'm used to it. Same applies for scotch. Sake will be sweet, I imagine. But the only drink I'm having is any I'm offered. It wouldn't be a great help trying to get me out, I'm sure.

I pass by some attractive looking soft drinks, but I'm set. I might even have some cash spare, too...this isn't too bad. Let's pay.

5 items which actually only take up half of what I thought was a pretty feeble amount. Hmm...I'll see what I can get later. I'll have to choose between cooked lunch or dinner...eh, dinner's always more special. I'll spend a little bit more then.

With some good food in my hands, I make my way back. And am stopped before I even get out of the store because...here she is again. Sakuya has arrived for her daily shop.

"Aha, good morning!"  
>"Morning, Sakuya."<br>"So you still have money in hand?"  
>"Well, I had all of it. I got by on freebies yesterday."<br>"That's such a bad idea..."  
>"I know. That's why I've bought some proper food. Have more money to get me a nice dinner, as well."<br>"Ah, that's fantastic. Remember though, you know where to come if you need-"  
>"No, Sakuya. Can we just...not." <em>She's unhappy with being put in her place like that, though.<br>_"...Fine. I see."  
>"What do you buy here, then?"<br>"...Well, food. All sorts. Not anything too hot, though. And tea. Lots and lots and lots of tea. We'd all be a wreck without it."  
>"I noticed. There's enough tea for an entire country in here alone."<br>"There's enough for an entire continent across the land."  
>"I like tea a lot, but of recent, I've become more of a coffee person myself..."<br>"What? **Coffee**? You can't...well, you can, but you can't. You just can't."  
>"I bought the tea because it drowned out every other beverage in the aisle."<br>"Good. That's the right answer."

_Round about this time, another customer walks in. She's another green-haired one; this is a much paler green though. Also, it's mostly covered up by an excellent hat. Seriously, it is a very nice hat. Black with a strip of yellow around.  
><em>"Hey, that's a nice hat."  
>"Oh, hers?"<br>_She approaches suddenly, swiftly.  
><em>"Hello!" _My, a cheerful one. _"Who are you?"  
><em>Sakuya cuts in before I can talk. <em>"You've come here today, Koishi?" _Yep. I know who this one is. But not much about her...apparently she's difficult to see._

_Speaking of sight impairment...those purple things waving around her are linked to an eye. It's shut as can be. It looks ugly enough as it is. If it's closed up, is that less or more scary? I can't tell.  
><em>"Of course! I'm getting my food here today. They let me do that back at the temple."  
>"Chaz, this is Koishi. Fresh Buddhist, as you might have guessed there."<br>"Oh, hello there!" _She waves enthusiastically at me, with a big smile on her face. I can't help but smile back.  
><em>"Hello, Koishi." _Her actual eyes are off-putting. They're sort of there, but also not. I mean, there's something like a pupil in them...but it's all green, mostly. Strange.  
><em>"Why are you here, Chaz?"  
><em>Er...Gensokyo? No, wait...<em> "For some food, of course. I need some right now..."  
>"What, you came to Gensokyo for food? That's funny."<br>"No, I thought you meant-"

_All of a sudden, in goes Sakuya again. _"Koishi, Chaz is here because he landed somewhere here. He wants to learn some things, and then he'll go. OK?"  
>"Oh, OK! Haha! He thought I meant the shop."<br>_That's not funny. I'm scowling a little, but Sakuya snaps me up quickly. She whispers a little, "Be nice. Childish. Acts without thinking."  
><em>_Acts without thinking? So, what does that mean? Either way, I don't want to do anything too bad. She's a happy chappy._

_Sakuya starts to shop now. Koishi's clothing is kind of weird, too. Her shirt is close to orange, but it doesn't go with her skirt, which is green with an unusual rose pattern on it.  
><em>_Sakuya knows her better, though._ "Where are you going today, Koishi? You always wander."  
>"Today, I want to go visit my sister!"<br>"Dangerous though, no?"  
>"Not as dangerous as your mansion you keep telling me not to visit..."<br>"Ah, well there's good reason for that."  
>"Where would that be anyway?"<br>"She lives in the underground. There's apparently lots of happenings there now! Satori's thinking about something to do. I hope we're planning something exciting! Amazing!"  
>"Aww...tell you what, if anything happens there, why not tell me about it?"<br>"Yeah! Go, Chaz!"  
>"Haha!"<br>"Hmm?"  
>"Uh? What is it?"<br>"Oh, I thought I saw something in you. I don't know though. I'm strange. I do subconscious things. It's weird. Haha."  
><em>Yeah, figures...still though, I could do with a bit of happiness. And not much has made sense here so far. Koishi's sweet.<em>

"Shall we play some more?"  
>"I'd love to. But you're busy...you have a sister to worry about."<br>"Oh, no, I can see her when I want! Let's play!"  
>"...Please, Koishi. I'd love to play, but I'm new here. I just moved. Can I have some time by myself?"<br>"Aww...OK! Welcome! I love roaming around Gensokyo! It's so awesome. I can just go around without a care..."  
>"Hey! I do that a lot where I live."<br>_She pulls an open-mouthed expression of curiosity. _"Oh, where is that?"  
>"London. There's a lot of it, too. A traveller like you would be spoilt there."<br>"Wow! That's so cool! How much?"  
>"Well, you wouldn't be able to walk entirely around, say, the outskirts. But Central London? You'd love it."<br>"Ahh! I want to go back there with you."  
>"That's kind...but...erm...people in London don't...all have third eyes..."<br>"That's OK, though! They'd understand."  
>"Sorry, Koishi...they wouldn't." <em>I don't like to be this bitterly true. But I stick with it almost too much. I have difficulty approaching people like this, if I'm honest.<em>

_She's got a sadder expression now. _"Aww...but..."  
><em>How to make this better...<em> "But you're a very cheerful child. So I'll make sure you stay that way. If you want to go to London..."  
>"Aah, can I?"<br>"I'll see what I can do. You'll go there one day, trust me."  
>"Yay!" <em>Ah, isn't she just the sweetest.<br>_"Haha."  
>"OK! Let's do that sometime!"<br>"Yeah! Oh, can I head off now? I don't know how much time I need to do...anything."  
>"Go on, Chaz! I'm gonna go shopping!"<br>"Mmm, you do that. Tell your sister about me, maybe."  
>"I will!"<br>"Aha...let's talk again sometime, Koishi. Ta ta, farewell."  
>"Bye bye, Chaz!"<p>

_That was lovely. I'm totally unsuited to speaking to her type, and she doesn't even care. I hope I see many more times to come. Everyone's been fine with me, so far. A relief..._

_Sakuya's finished her buying though, and she's making a cut-throat gesture, for some reason. "Why?" I mouth. Sakuya whispers, under her breath, "She's fucking powerful." I point us outside to discuss this.  
><em>"Powerful, you say?"  
>"Yes. Very. You OK after that? She fucks with the subconscious sometimes."<br>"I didn't notice...but is it a dangerous thing?"  
>"For one person, yes. Definitely. Who knows what bits she can actually get at...but all of them can change you."<br>"She didn't do that, did she?"  
>"Clearly not. From what I can see. She took a liking to you, actually. She tries to like everyone. Because that's what she wants to be, too."<br>"You got a problem with her, or something?"  
>"Oh, no. Just...she's impossible to figure out."<br>"I see. She seems fine with me. I'd certainly talk with her more. Now, though...what can I do?"  
>"I don't know. You decide."<br>"I haven't got a thing to do. I need to adjust some more. I'll take it slow."  
>"Wise choice. Now, I've got my own things to do. My own people to serve. I'll be right on time..."<br>"Oh, have you got it back?"  
>"You bet, love. On that note...till next time." <em>She disappears straight after that. <em>_She was there – then she wasn't.__ That's her time, alright..._

There's only one thing for me now, though. Getting this back home. Not difficult.

I do notice though, someone eyeing up all my stuff. The way her golden eyes look at me reminds me of the way a Croydon gangster would. It's pretty scary. I know this because I live close to the area in question.

Only, she isn't a Croydon gangster. Because none would have a hat as ridiculous as hers. It's white...with _two_ tops on it. Why anyone would make such a design choice is a mystery. However, if that wasn't enough, she also appears to have numerous fox tails behind her. Yeah, I can't take that seriously.

She's not a gangster in the slightest. But the way she just stares at me with that angered expression is still very off-putting. Happily, there is an easy solution to this; ignore her outright. And that is exactly what I do.

Something like that happening is rather disconcerting though, given how short my walk home is. I mean, really. Not much stuff should happen in a time frame that short. But even that...I dunno. This is home now. Why don't we just settle down now? That seems about right.

* * *

><p>The time is now 18:00. I've got some lovely bits and pieces that will, hopefully, make up a good dinner. Bought them from two stands. One sold grilled lamprey – sort of a fish. I've never been a fish sort, but, well, I have to take what there is. Besides, the owner was nice too. Some young 'un called Mystia. She seemed a little vain in our little small talk. That might get annoying. Also her mate, Kyouko, I think it was, seemed awfully shouty. Just popped out of nowhere. Other than that though, she's fine. The other sold sweet potatoes – a stand owned by two sisters, the Akis. They're a lovely, cheerful pair. I also love sweet potatoes. I don't have them often, which just makes them all the better when I do taste them. They'll be delicious, I'm sure.<p>

There's also some musicians out at this late time, playing about. A trio is playing nearby my house. One a keyboardist, one a violinist, one a trumpeter. And even before I hear their magnificent music, there's no doubt in my mind which is the best. The keyboardist. The keyboard is probably my favourite instrument. I'm not that great at playing music any more, but I understand it and some of its terminology, and have a keen ear for virtually any sort of music. Any music fits me as long as it's composed well. But the keyboard is the one I love to play. The ones I've seen can play so many sounds, so you can make the music you really want. This person even looks kinda sweet. Something about the brown hair, I think. She's also slightly shorter than her band mates. I'm giving her a little smile, without really noticing. So when she sees me, she returns one. A beaming one. Clearly she's enjoying herself. I would give them money, but...I'm all out. So I can't. Next time though...definitely.

It's time to head in, though. I have food to eat.

First, stick the phone on charge – it always will be in my house. I didn't even use up any here, but the point still stands.

So, this fish...it's OK, but like most foods I try for the first time, I'm struggling to swallow. Only one remedy, of course. Tea. Lots of it.

The sweet potatoes are, of course, pretty much perfect. The extra kick is even better than I remember, come to think of it. I should get these in a more...chip-like form...

...Hold on, the phone's ringing. Standard shrill sound of a telephone. Haven't changed it at all. Wait...it's _ringing_? Oh, right, someone has my number...but this one is blocked? Why? Ugh...I don't like answering blocked numbers, since I'm worried it's someone on the other end who wants to kill me. Or a prank call, at any rate. But I always do...I can't just leave this hanging.

"Hello."  
><em>...Nothing.<br>_"...Hello?"  
><em>...There's a sort of crackle. It's getting a little louder. I think there's a voice somewhere inside it, but it's not getting through.<br>_"_...Hello?_"  
><em>...Nope, nothing. Just that soft white noise. What the hell. Goodbye-<br>_"A-a-aah! Wait!" _Hmm? Back on my ear goes my phone. _"S-sorry! This is new..."  
>"Who are you?"<br>"We found you on this thing! Sorry if this is a disturbance..."  
>"What the fuck is this?"<br>"O-oh...sorry...we've just gotten ourselves a new...uh...thing..."  
>"And you 'found' me?"<br>"Yes...it detects electronic stuff like...that's your phone, isn't it?"  
>"Indeed it is."<br>"Yeah, so...that's the thing we're testing it on. Sorry..."  
>"No, no, no, it's alright. I'm not doing anything. Keep talking."<br>"Uh...? OK..." _She seems nervous._

"Where you doing this at?"  
>"Oh, you won't know it..."<br>"Try me."  
>"Y-you're not going to go here, right?"<br>"I don't know. Maybe not."  
>"Right...so, uh, it's this place called Eientei...it's shut off really-"<br>"Yes! I've heard of it."  
>"U-uh? How?"<br>"Better to explain it in person."  
>"I-I won't see you in person...I'm stuck here, really...you're in the Village, I think..."<br>"Stuck? Why, though?"  
>"My masters don't want me out these days...they haven't for a long time."<br>"I've met someone who had that until recently."  
>"You know about the...incidents?"<br>"Yes. I'm aware of them."  
>"Oh...ohh...what I'd give to be in one of them again...or just..."<br>"Just what?"  
>"...No, you wouldn't know..."<br>"Please, what's wrong?"  
>"No...no! It's a, uh, personal thing...sorry...it doesn't...matter."<br>_Definitely not gonna be pressed into giving it away easily. _"...Well, it might do it I knew who you are...you never said."  
>"A-ahh! I'm sorry...I should have- ah..." <em>Way, way too apologetic. Probably the sort who needs it stuck on her head.<em> "Yeah, my name is...Reisen..." _I stand corrected..._

"Reisen...an Inaba?"  
>"...Huh? How did you know...?"<br>"...Right, is there anyone else in the same room as you? I don't think they're the sort that should know this..."  
>"Uh...no. My masters are working elsewhere at the moment."<br>"OK, good. Well, there's this text out there somewhere, in the Outside World. Someone came here, spent years here, then got out. He told us a lot about many residents, primarily those who had been in incidents in the past. You, and others in your area, are in it. Is that OK?"  
>"...I-I-I don't know what to say...people know about me outside?"<br>"Yes. I hope that's OK..."  
>"...Uh...they can't get me...it's...fine..."<br>"You're sounding nervous...you alright?"  
>"A-ah...I'm always like this...I'm not very good at talking, I'm locked out from outside, so...sorry."<br>"You've been apologising a lot. It's alright, Reisen."  
>"...Ha, thank you so much. I...no, I was going to do it again...aha...I just..."<br>"Look, I know it's all a bit alarming. I'm just starting here myself. I wasn't expecting this call either."  
>"...Mmm...you escaped here too?"<br>"No, I got dropped in here...no reason why."  
>"Ah...you know about here though, so surely there must have been..."<br>"No. Literally, I was sleeping, at home, then next time...I wasn't. Me knowing about stuff is just something that hasn't really happened before, I hear..."  
>"Well, do you think it's a good place...?"<br>"Right now, it's been fine. I'll visit around for a few days, then I'll get home somehow."  
>"...Oh, er...from my experience it is...quite, no, very difficult to go home...er...whoever-you-are?"<br>"Chaz. That's my name. Never told you that either. I'll apologise this time..."  
>"Haha, yeah...Chaz. But...well, you're freer than I am, right?"<br>"Well, yes. I'm just going with the flow right now."  
>"Yes, but...do you know anybody who could get you out?"<br>"I've heard names flung around."  
>"Can you find them, though?"<br>"When the time comes."  
>"You say, but I've wanted to go back home for so many years...there's no way...even if I were free, I don't know how..."<br>"Do you not know any names?"  
>"...Yes, but she doesn't like us very much..."<br>"She wants to get you, too?"  
>"Well...not as such, but there was a problem we had with her a while ago..."<br>"...Would it take a while? To explain?"  
>"Ah...I suppose..."<p>

_This is too strange for me... _"...Look, Reisen, this is...all a bit...awkward-"  
>"Uh, do you want to-huh? Oh..."<br>"...Yeah, this came out of nothing. Look, we have our numbers...could you call again at some point?"  
>"...I agree. I just, sort of...saw something on this...that was you, Chaz..."<br>"Can I even call or text you? It sounds like you haven't got a phone."  
>"...Well, do you know how?"<br>"...Hang on, your number was blocked."  
>"Oh...I, uh, don't know what's with that, then...something with the waves perhaps, that's my power."<br>"OK. Just call me whenever, really."  
>"But, don't you want the right time..." <em>Wait. I've had a brain wave. <em>_I don't know if Reisen messed with mine, but...no, this is a chance._

"Say, Reisen, do you have any...jobs I could do? I have no money now..."  
>"My, you want to work for...us? You can't even see us, though..."<br>"You can't leave, can you? If there's any problems you have I might be able to deal with a couple of them."  
>"...I have to talk to my masters though..."<br>"Yeah, do that, but still. Just say if there's anything you need happening and I'll see if I can do it."  
>"Do you have a power...?"<br>"No, I don't want one either."  
>"Then you might be a bit...limited in some cases..."<br>"Just give me anything that doesn't need one."  
>"Oh, um...OK..."<br>"Thank you, Reisen. I need something to live here..."  
>"Yes, I understand. I hope you'll be alright...what are you going to do tomorrow?"<br>"We'll see. I haven't done much today, I've taken my time to adjust to Gensokyo."  
>"Ah, OK. I think that's a good idea...so, if I find you again, do I just call you then? When there's something you can do for us?"<br>"Yep, absolutely."  
>"That's...nice. Thank you, Chaz."<p>

"I hope I'm of service to you. Last question, Reisen..."  
>"...Huh?"<br>"Will I see you in person?"  
>"...I don't know...I don't think so...it's difficult to get to and from here. It's within a dense bamboo forest...I could fly through if I were let out, but even now it's a little scary."<br>"Yeah, you seem a little...shy even now. I think that's just you, though."  
>"Hmm..."<p>

"That's about it, I think."  
>"OK...hope this wasn't too bad, Chaz..."<br>"No, you've given me a job, man. That's what I need."  
>"Aha...how do you get the money, though?"<br>"...What, won't you send it?"  
>"That would take a little, uh, longer...you never know, though, the clients might give you your money on the spot."<br>"OK. That's cleared up then."  
>"Yes. So, uh...I'll find you on this again, and call you when anything comes up. I think you'll be fine tomorrow, I might still have to ask the masters so...have a free day. You should find something to entertain you after today..."<br>"Sounds like a plan. Again, Reisen...I thank you."  
>"Haha...that's...fine."<br>"See you soon. Bye bye."  
>"Ah, bye..."<p>

Well that was...something. I think we both pretty much winged that one, really. Reisen, though...I've seen her name a lot in the Touhou Project, but I don't know if I have a coherent opinion on her, though. Either way, she sounded shaky...not the irritating sort, though. The sort that could be fixed, maybe if she got her own way...she said she wanted to go home, too. I sort of know what she might look like, anyway, but if I never see her personally, that'd be a bit annoying...

Still, though, she's giving me the odd job. Ones which she should be doing...how harsh it must be on her to be locked up.

That was a small thing...now we can kick back, though. After I finish this food, I know what I could do with – a shower. I'm not expecting great things, but anything will do me there...

* * *

><p>Right, back out. Now, to settle down. Find something to entertain me. That'll be my phone, probably-<p>

Oh, for god's sake! What now? The bloody phone is ringing again. Who is it now-

Oh, wait. It's just Sanae. This one's actually shown up this time. And she promised yesterday to try and call me. Took her time about it, though...

_I answer my phone._ "Hello."  
>"Chaz! Finally, you're here. It's been saying you've been engaged for a little while! Who was it?"<br>_Do I tell her?_ "...I don't know, Sanae. That last one came out of nothing."  
>"Ah, that's OK. It's just, I've got something you might want to know about!"<br>"Go on."  
>"Well, we've got some good connections with the underground. And Lady Kanako, my god, is talking with someone down there to see if they can host a little...something."<br>"What, like, a party?"  
>"It might be. Nothing is really confirmed yet, so I won't say much more. However, it might be worth it to get to know some people from underground...just in case. Maybe you've seen some?"<br>"I might have done, actually."  
>"Oh? Who was up here?"<br>"Well, to be honest I'm not really sure she goes down there. Not a lot. But she's from that bit."  
>"Hmm?"<br>"Someone called Koishi. She's an upbeat one, but apparently also dangerous. And a bit unaware."  
>"Ooh, yeah, she's, uh, a bit, well, difficult...really powerful, too. I've seen her before my eyes. Her spell cards are almost impossible."<br>"Mmm...I've heard."  
>"Still, you probably couldn't know anyone better! She's the mistress, master, whatever you wanna call her, she's her sister."<br>"She was talking about seeing her today."  
>"Ah, good. Although...you might not see her much more, she wanders about so much...and I can't exactly see her too much. She came up here previously, to talk to Lady Kanako about getting powers, for her pets, but now...she goes to the Buddhist temple...ugh..." <em>Clearly she cares about her faith.<em>

"Glad that you've told me this in this little call you planned. Thanks."  
>"Ah, that's nice. Wait, you said...no, you wanted longer? Oh, no! I forgot! Oh...I've had such a frantic day, ohh...I would have put in more time to chat with you."<br>_Well, that is...disappointing. _"Oh...right. Still, though-"  
>"Um, I...still have some more things to take care of. We're a busy bunch up here, so it's always difficult to find time."<br>"So why call me now?"  
>"Oh, I just had a moment...and thought you'd be interested in this development."<br>"I am. If it's all you wanted to tell me, I'm fine with that."  
>"Ah, OK! Whew...right. Sorry, though. It's the weekend tomorrow though! We can chat all night then, if you can..." <em>Why yes, it is Saturday tomorrow. Should be...plenty of fun.<br>_"Absolutely. It's not like I've got anything planned tomorrow, either..."  
>"Yay! I'll make sure it all happens this time."<br>"You were saying though, you were busy...with what?"  
>"Well, there was the whole thing I just brought up. I was helping Lady Kanako and Lady Suwako with the discussions. However, each week, we're also developing new technological ideas to try and help out Gensokyo." <em>Tech savvy. At least more so than the rest of Gensokyo, it would appear. Instant yes. <em>"There's one project we're just about to finish, actually! It's a cable car up to our shrine. It'll save so much effort for our followers. Since walking to us is difficult, of course."  
>"I'd imagine, what with the mountain and all."<br>"Yeah...not that I'd know, I just fly up and down it. But some, like you, aren't really into the magic jazz, so...it's happening."  
>"You seem like the sort who actually get things done properly."<br>"Yes, of course...what makes you think otherwise?"  
>"Well, it's just that, back home, the government thinks of something, and either doesn't do it, or they may start it, and then cancel it. Occasionally, something does get done...years after it was planned to be finished, and about twice over the expected budget. Then everyone just shouts at it. It's horrid."<br>"Yeah, we're much better than that. My problem is that, I think, outside, they just don't want to try out properly big things any more. I mean, I wish we should really be able to fly to space now, with the finest tech in the world...but instead, all I hear about is economy and environment bullshit." _...I'm just saying, I think she's got a bloody great point. And I hate environmentalists, too.  
><em>"You hate that bunch, too? The environmental side?"  
>"Well, I do wish they'd shut up about it..."<br>"Couldn't agree more. Because most of what those morons say is wrong."  
>"Aha, fair enough..."<p>

_So there's actually some good knowledge behind that aching beauty. I suppose all we need now is-  
><em>"So, yeah, there's a lot of plans we've been coming up with. We just don't know which one to try out next! You're a proper outsider, though, so I wonder, Chaz...could you help us decide?"  
>"I'd love to, Sanae."<br>"Great! However, we do want to get this cable car out of the way first. We've been working on it for a long while, and we're pretty close, but we want to make absolutely sure it's all good. So you might have to wait...well, nearly a whole week yet."  
>"That's good."<br>"But...you want to be home by then, surely?"  
>"I'll be here as long as it takes. It appears it might be quite a while."<br>"Ah, alright then." _Hopefully that's not a guarantee that I'll stay that long._

_I wonder if there's anything else she's got about her. I wouldn't be surprised. _"Right, now I really have to go. I'm cooking tonight. Also need to, well, shower about now..." _I'll take that thought, thanks. Tee hee...  
><em>"Yeah, definitely go ahead, do that."  
>"Definitely? Hehe...yeah, I like them, too. Just thinking, and all."<br>"Mine's rubbish. The water takes its time to warm up. And I'm not sure there's much water left at all, really. I might have to fill it with this tea to make up for it."  
>"Haha...still though, it has to be done. A tea shower, though? I'd love that..."<br>"Wouldn't we all. Put it down as your next invention."  
>"Ha! Silly. Right, seriously."<br>"I'll let you go now. Please, let's chat much more tomorrow. Get back to me on that underground shindig, if it happens."  
>"Yeah, yeah! I really want to talk more...I need someone to talk about all this with." <em>It's my honour, Sanae.<br>_"Of course. Thanks for ringing, Sanae."  
>"You're welcome, Chaz!" <em>That accent's soft, joyful tone is music to my right ear. <em>"OK, OK, for real now! Bye bye!"  
>"Talk to you tomorrow, Sanae. Bye bye."<br>_And we hang up. I sort of wish we didn't have to._

Still, though. It's only my second day but something about Sanae feels really, really bloody great. I shouldn't jump to conclusions, obviously. I've only scratched the surface. But already she seems like the type I could do with here. I mean, surely no one is as close to the outside world as her, realistically...she really seems to know her stuff about her previous, and my current, home.

Of course, this would be slightly less relevant if she didn't look so bloody fine. From what I saw, anyway. I mean, it should be beside the point, really. But looks do terrible things to my mind. They can turn respect into love. I'm definitely not going that far with Sanae yet...but she's made one mark there already.

Also, I can't stop bloody thinking about her in that shower. She said it flat out. What else is my dirty mind meant to do? Let's save it for later, though. All I actually wanted to do with my phone was mess about on it. That's my entertainment for tonight. Now I can actually get to it...I'm fine with being this anti-social. I'm perfectly alright with it. I can waste plenty of the night, and more, doing this. So that's what I'll do.


	6. The Incidents

It's Saturday. Normally one of my favourite days because I often get to watch one of my favourite dramas – that week's Manchester United game.

As far back as I can remember, I have always, always loved football. What else could I have done? It was always on telly, all the time. I took my while to properly find my feet, but eventually I decided the team for me was that most local of teams – Manchester United.

I get a lot of shit for that back at school. Yes, it is ridiculous to not choose anything but a London team if you live in London. And I don't care.

The thing with United is, they do win – a lot. But they never make it seem that way. So, so many times, they make it hard on themselves – and fans like me. You never know how it'll all go. And I love that. I'm not the most emotional man these days, but so, so often, United can reduce to me to a desperate, praying mess. Or, as was the case last season, a furious, miserable ball of rage.

Last season, it went...badly. This never-ending drama of a team got a new manager, who promptly proceeded to ruin everything that the previous, legendary manager had built. Thankfully he is no longer there. And now it's looking up again for the most part.

They're quite possibly the most important thing in my life. And here, I can't see them.

...Wait, actually...they're on international break this week. Yes! I'm not missing too much after all. I mean, England, right now, are the biggest sack of shit I have ever seen in my whole life. I'd watch literally anything else on TV if it meant avoiding them. Especially since ITV do all their games.

...Still. I get the feeling that, if there is any sport in Gensokyo, it is far more archaic.

If I don't get back for next week, I'll be missing United. It's just as well I have so many other hobbies. So I can fix a different one in my mind quickly. I can manage them all to perfection now, but could I keep that up here? It's too early to say.

Once again, I find myself with no money. Left without it from last night's distinctly lukewarm dinner. That's why I bought food earlier. Thankfully, while I'm an early bird, my stomach...isn't. I struggle to eat quite a lot upon waking. Only stuff I really, properly like goes down properly, and sometimes not even that cuts it. I feel fine now, though.

So for breakfast, with my morning tea, I'm having one of my raspberry chocolates. Mmm, delicious.

Still, I should do something at this early time. I'm not going to just sit around on a day like this. Though, I wish that Reisen could give me something to do now.

I suppose they won't object to me looking around the stands, even without money. The Village is not quite as bustling as a weekday right now, but I bet come night time, it'll be a different story...

Problem is, all the stands here don't sell anything that wasn't in that big shop. However, walking into that with no money and therefore coming out with nothing just seems weird, somehow.

Here though, I'm seeing a nice tofu stand. It's actually almost as well stocked as the shop's tofu section, and certainly more widely varied. They're one of the stands that gave away quite a lot of freebies when I was penniless last time. So I'll take one again. Let's see. This time, I'm trying this one. Well...compared to the one I tried before, this one is certainly-

"Firm? That's the correct answer." _Huh? Who said that?  
><em>_I__t was from behind me. And there...it's that one again. The one with that stare. And fox tails behind her and a funny hat and she's talking to me now...  
><em>"Why didn't you take it last time, though? Personally, I like it firm, because soft is...for wimps."  
>"Oh, I wouldn't know. The only tofu I've seen is from <em>Initial D<em>."  
>"Ah, fan of the 86 as well, are we?" <em>What? How does she know about this?<em>

"You're from outside?"  
>"No. But I'm closer to it than you think."<br>"What, does that mean you can..."  
><em>A slightly menacing smile rises on her previously serious face.<em> "Yeah, I know one who can do that." _Is this my chance?  
><em>"...Can I meet her?"  
><em>Suddenly, that smile drops back down. <em>"No."  
>"What? Why not? Why can't I meet someone to get me out?"<br>"Do you really want to meet someone who has been putting me through shit over a number of years now?" _Oh my. Perhaps not. The fury on her face makes it all clear.  
><em>_She said it with such anger, that I'm kind of unnerved. _"...No..."  
>"Exactly. I've been made to follow her order for a long, long while. I'm her shikigami. Nothing I can do about it. However, it's only now I've felt the need to do something...even I don't really understand this, but I've felt more power in me recently. Don't know what it is exactly, but I feel it there."<br>"So, I went to tell that one...Yukari, her name is." _Her scowl deepens briefly upon saying that. Oh, so she works for Yukari. Or, as she seems to make out, she's Yukari's slave._ "And she said she might be aware of something similar. So she told me to head down here, and, even though I have this feeling, I've noticed nothing whatsoever."  
>"Why are you here, then?"<br>"To talk to you." _Uh oh. This could be bad. But wait...why didn't she just..._

"Wait, have you been following me, though?"  
>"Of course. But you were busy. So I didn't talk to you."<br>"You don't look the type to just leave people lying around." _She really doesn't. With that maybe amusing but also important looking white-blue uniform of hers, matched with a tall frame and __a __rough__ face, and she __feels__as if she's__ burning with power – and that she isn't afraid to use it.  
><em>"Sorry that I have such a wretched looking face, then."  
>"Whoa, I never said it was..."<p>

"So. I see you've moved into a perfectly fine house, next to the museum, the big shop, and Keine's school."  
><em>It's a museum, that place?<em> "Yes..."  
>"Are you aware of its past?"<br>"I was told it by Sanae Kochiya. She helped me buy the place."  
>"Ah, that one. She's made herself well known here, I'll say that."<br>"I'm aware." _Wait, what did she mean by that?  
><em>"However, we've been the ones keeping track of that house. You said, you know about the previous resident, who escaped. I'm part of the team who keeps check on the boundaries of Gensokyo. Since the house has been cordoned off, there has been no suggestion as to how he managed it. Yet. That's why it was sealed."  
>"Yes...I think it was him who wrote a text in the Outside World on Gensokyo."<br>"That is what we believed. You know about this text though?"  
>"I've read all of it."<br>"Then you'll know my name. Without a doubt. He must have mentioned it."  
>"...Ran Yakumo."<br>_Her frown slowly gets more intense again. She pauses for a while. Saying nothing. Then...  
><em>"...You know what that house means?"  
>"...What?"<br>"You've bought it...so you're now working for me." _?! What is this shit?_

"Huh? What are you saying?"  
>"It's under my control...so since you live in it, you're helping me out."<br>"But...I've already got someone to work for..."  
>"Who?"<br>"...Well, I've been told I'm doing odd jobs for this person called Reisen Udongein Inaba..."  
>"No, you aren't." <em>She's scarily direct when she means no. <em>"What the fuck does she know about work? On what level are you working for her?"  
>"...She just said I'd do some jobs I could do and she couldn't..."<br>"Then you're not working for her. You're just replacing her."  
>"It's paid and everything-"<br>"It's also moot."

"Right, what am I doing for you, then...?"  
>"Assisting me. Since you've bought out the most important house in the Village, and also since you happen to know what he's written about, you surely can help me out with this power issue that might be happening?"<br>"How do I do that?"  
>"Find residents who are saying something about it. And tell me."<br>"But why aren't you doing this yourself?"  
>"I have to keep myself to Yukari. I don't like it, but if I just flat out ignored her, I'd be lynched. Annihilated. If you work with me, I can find more time to get out of her clutches. Also, you bought his house. I'm still monitoring it. So you might as well..." <em>...Alright, I'll do it. Even if it's for your own purpose, not mine...<br>_"...Fine. But what do I get out of this?"  
>"Hmm...with enough well done work, enough contribution...you might be able to get out of here." <em>If it's that, then...<br>_"Right. For that, I'll do it."  
><em>She nods her head in approval. Still, just one more thing I do need...<em>

"...Is there any money in this?"  
>"Oh, there might be. You'll get some with a good find...out of Yukari's wallet, of course." <em>She manages a snicker at that. Hehe. That's more like it, Ran.<br>_"What about Reisen, though?"  
>"Don't care. Do whatever she says."<br>"But, you said I'd have to work hard..."  
>"Yeah, but that doesn't mean you have to do much. Really, it's just finding anyone for me and telling me. It's just, if you do enough. You can take as long as you want."<br>"That's fair...I do want to head around here a bit more. If I can fill your needs in the process, so much the better."  
>"Good."<br>"But do you want me to do anything now?"  
>"No. Do whatever, whenever."<br>"So I can have some free time now?"  
>"When was it ever called 'free time'? It lasts as long as it wants for me. Seriously. Just hear shit, tell me about it and it helps. Alright?" <em>I'm going on too much for her liking.<br>_"...Yes...sorry..."  
>"I'm not as strict as you think. Trust me. It's just what anyone who did move in here would get from me. You just seem to be a damn good fit for such a purpose."<p>

"How did I get this house so cheap, anyway?"  
>"That's what happens when I'm working on it."<br>_She's now off, to kingdom come. _"Ran, you never asked me for my name."  
>"...Well, it's not exactly required. I mean, the previous house owner never told me his. But go on..."<br>"Yeah, I'm Chaz..."  
>"Chaz...right. Something else, Chaz..."<br>"Mmm?"  
>"Your accent's annoying."<br>"...Why?"  
>"You'll find out. Have a good day." <em>She leaves, still with that stern expression. Turning to speak one more time...<em> "Always eat the firm tofu."_ She winks afterwards, without a flicker of change to her face._

_And that was her parting message. She's gone._

That was...deeply uncomfortable. But she's also given me a job...and it involves going around and listening to people. What could go wrong with that? She seems very battle-scarred though...but she's put me in charge of this. Oh my god.

Never mind that she said I could take all the time I wanted, this feels ridiculous. Do I do anything now? Or no? Clearly she knows I want to explore Gensokyo, really...so maybe this is suited to me.

With that, I suppose she was right. My free time really is as long as I want it...so I can have it here. And I now know...that building is a museum. I want to visit it. So let's do that tonight.

In the meantime I'll feed myself on that firm tofu of Ran's. Freak.

* * *

><p>It is now 16:00. As autumn gets ever closer to its end, to make way for winter, daylight is getting less and less by the day. It's now building up to a warm and fuzzy dusk.<p>

The museum, as it would be on weekends like these, was chock-a-block earlier in the day. Now though, most would be preparing for the equivalent of a Saturday night out here. So I can get in a good visit right now.

Not the furthest of walks, if I'm honest. It's literally about 5 steps away.

Inside the museum, it all looks pretty...ordinary. In this corridor, there's a few rooms to the sides...but where's all the, erm, stuff?

Before I can ponder that, someone steps out of the nearest room to the right. Brown-eyed, with silver hair, that also has a hint of blue about it. Rather good-looking, all in all. Blue dress, hints of white and red, and- oh my god, what is _that_? On her head is what she probably calls a 'hat', but what is actually...nothing I can think of. It's very odd. But let's not jest over her incredibly bizarre design choice; she's clearly got something to do with this museum.

"Welcome! What brings you here?"  
>"I'm here to find out about...well, stuff."<br>"Ha, well, what sort?"  
>"Er...anything. I thought that was the point of a museum..."<br>"Well, I suppose..."

_Round about this time, another woman steps out of a section further down, also on the right. She's got long, wavy, light brown hair...but it fades to a sort of purple at the top. Her eyes are a similarly mixed colour, halfway between hazel and light brown. Her black and white dress has long strips of black criss-crossing over it, along with some more white fabric like that on the arms. I can only imagine how long it takes her to get that on...especially given that she's rather well-endowed. Not just like that, though. Her face might actually be the better sight. She is very, very pretty. She might even be better than that._

_Let's not think on that too much, though. This is a serious thing for me._

"Ah, good evening."  
>"Hello. I want to find out about...well, anything here, really."<br>"Wait...aren't you the one Koishi was talking about?"  
><em>Was?<em> "I've met a Koishi..."  
>"Yes! That'd be you, then. Chaz, was it?"<br>"That's me."  
>"Great. She told me about this outsider from this place called London. I mean, I've never heard of it myself...I'm completely behind on the Outside World. Far too old for it..." <em>Old? Looks anything but...of course, I know from the Touhou Project, it's common practice to ignore their age when talking about their looks. That's how youkai work.<br>_"Perhaps that's why you work at a museum, then."  
>"Haha...you'd be right." <em>Her accent expresses real maturity, it feels..welcoming.<em>_ Seems about right for her. _"I'm Hijiri Byakuren, head priest of the Myouren Temple."  
>"Oh, you're the one who runs it?"<br>"Yes. Why don't you come down there some time? I'll help you out while you're here."  
><em>Oh, for god's sake, do I really have to deal with more religious bullshit here? I'm not interested in it. <em>"...I'll think about it."  
>"We'd welcome you. I mostly house youkai there, actually. That's why it's only just outside the Village, but it's so close people say it's a part of here now."<br>"Youkai in the Human Village, though...?"  
>"Anything wrong with that? The ones I take in do no harm." <em>Ouch...that's reduced her smile almost immediately. If that's one of the matters she cares about, best not bring it up.<br>_"...No. Just curious. Sorry."  
>"That's OK. You're new here, you wouldn't know." <em>You'd be surprised<em>.

_Now the one with that strange hat comes back into this._ "She's helping me out with some of the older stuff. She knew some people from those times."  
>"The temple's much calmer on the weekends, and the museum busier."<br>"It's all been coming along nicely since we built this up. We've even gotten some more of the bigger residents on the act. Kosuzu, Rinnosuke...couple of the shop owners, Akyuu..." _That Akyuu? The one that Sakuya was slagging off?_ "And we're looking for, and hoping to get, more still."  
>"Sounds great. Perfect time for me to start looking, then."<br>"It is indeed. It's really budding now. It's great for me." _Her accent and tone, in effect, are similar to Byakuren's. Just a little higher on the tone. _

"I'm Keine Kamishirasawa, I run this museum." _That's a mouthful...  
><em>"Keine. Just Keine." _Byakuren thinks so, too.  
><em>"Hah, of course." _Oh, and Keine knows it._ "So, Chaz. What is it you want to look at here?"  
>"Like I said, I just-"<br>_Byakuren cuts in._ "Koishi told me you'd like to explore Gensokyo. Is that correct?"  
>"Pretty much, yeah."<br>"I think you'll want a very general look at it all, then."  
>"Byakuren, there isn't time for that...we have to shut at 7. That's how it goes on Saturdays, many people spend nights out here."<br>"Just get him started on it, then. He can finish it at a later date."  
>"Alright, then...when are you free after today?"<br>"I have...no idea. I'm working for someone, but it's an odd job...it happens when stuff comes up. So I'll come whenever I get the chance, if it happens like this."  
>"Who are you working for, anyway?"<br>"Ran Yakumo. She took me on after I bought a house she was monitoring."  
>"The one next door to this? My...I think I've seen you around there. But...how did you get the house? That's been on lock-down by her since the previous resident left..."<br>"She didn't care. As long as I worked for her. And since she's doing a job that apparently I'm suited for...well, there you go."

"That house's old owner used to ask a lot about history. He'd seen a lot and noted it down...he was always one of our favourite outsiders here. And then he left...and he took info about us with him. I hope he hasn't used it for ill..."  
>"He hasn't."<br>"...Huh?"  
>"He made it into a text called the Touhou Project. I've read it all...I know well about this place. But I don't know if it's all true, and he made some bits rather vague. I want to learn more about it. I won't do such a text as his, though. I don't have the time. I just want to learn more, and get out of here."<br>"...My, he wasn't part of...that association, was he? Byakuren?"  
>"...No, he absolutely did not want to harm the youkai here. But he certainly took down a lot of info in his time here...with so much, it'd be difficult to keep it silent."<br>"...Are you part of it, Chaz?" _Part of what?  
><em>"Hmm? I've no idea what you're on about."  
>"The Secret History Association..."<br>"Keine...I believe Chaz means well. He wouldn't be engaging with youkai like Koishi and Ran if he was part of them. Any others you may have spoken to, Chaz?"  
>"Well, there's some that were in the stands, I think...they might count. Also, there was this one on the phone, Reisen, it was..."<br>"Right, that's all good then. Keine?"  
><em>Keine's scowling a little. However, it seemed to be over my mention of Reisen...why? Either way, she snaps back to type quickly.<em> "Sorry, yes. You'll be fine. It's just...I'm the one who keeps history here. I can hide it, sometimes create it, so I'm the one in charge of it. I apologize for that there."  
>"No, it's fine...I can understand now that I've told you about the outside."<br>"Indeed. Actually, that's better. Not only are you one of the more intellectual outsiders I've seen, but you're also the first I've seen to take a genuine interest to this all. The ones we've had recently have been...well, a long way out of their comfort zone. Most still are...you'd know about that too, Byakuren."

"Indeed. I've had to take in a great deal. And even then they're still not really at home here. It's been dire here, and we can't just take them over the barrier, because they aren't often Japanese anymore...you aren't either, right, Chaz?"  
>"No. I'm English."<br>"Exactly. I don't know where any of these sorts come from, I don't know where everywhere else is in the world really. I've only a vague idea these days..."  
>"OK, that all clear?" <em>Let's do this. I nod in approval. <em>"Then let's get started."

"So, I don't know exactly what that man put down in his text, so I'll ask you if you know some things from ours."  
>"What's yours' called?"<br>"We call it the Gensokyo Chronicle. Akyuu and her family created it. This is the 9th version. Yours' was the...Touhou Project, yes?"  
>"Yep, the Touhou Project.<br>"Project, you say? Hmm..."  
>"I think the text literally is the project. He's not planning anything else. Even though he got out, he doesn't know how to get back in, he said..."<br>"Fair enough."

"Right, the first, most important; are you aware of Gensokyo's 'incidents'?"  
>"Yes. They're taken on by 'resolvers' who fight off youkai that are being a nuisance at any given time."<br>"...Almost right. Indeed, you say that many do attempt to settle these incidents, and they do. However, even if they all play some role in solving the incident, only one takes the credit for it?"  
>"Who is that?"<br>"Whoever actually defeats the culprit."  
>"Why, though?"<br>"Incidents are taken very seriously here. Since the one who defeats the culprit is technically the one who solves it, that's who we put down. Byakuren was one of them once, actually."  
>"Well, not the culprit as such...I was more the subject of it. I was unsealed by a crew of Buddhists, but they had been found out by a trio of resolvers...who were all there when I was unsealed."<br>"Which one of them beat you?"  
>"You'll have to wait to find out."<p>

_Keine gets out a small sheet of paper._ "Now, do you know what these are?"  
><em>Wouldn't have a clue, but if they're so important I might know of them when she tells me.<em> "No idea, but I might have heard of them..."  
>"...The spell card rules?"<br>_Yep, that's a thing._ "Yes, I know those."  
>"They were brought up around...well, what time should we go with? Byakuren?"<br>"Think he'll be wanting Gregorian."  
>"Right, of course. Yeah, we have to debate that because of the way seasons work here. Ours start from the moment the Hakurei Barrier was formed, but we more commonly go with the outside way."<br>"That's good, then. No time issues for me." _Unless somebody stops it._

"Yes, so this is 2002. These were formed after a sudden bunch of high-profile deaths and injuries. Before this point, mostly it was just small, weak fry who were left for dead, and we did nothing about them. The top of the pile was all that mattered...then one of them was killed. It hit this place hard. Very hard. Because she was Rin Satsuki." _I was researching her before I left! I wondered why the Touhou Project had so little on her...Keine also seems awfully solemn about this, but why not._

"Before that, most people thought the top guns in Gensokyo were effectively empowered to a level of immortality. Rin in particular was perhaps the most blindingly talented hunter the land had seen, even though some called her highly irresponsible. Despite this, she had risen among the region's fighters to the most elite level, many believing her time had come...and then she died. And suddenly, the land realised no one was invincible.

"The powers that be started talking up plans to ensure their safety. But there were many disagreements, across all quarters. And with them taking so long, there was time for another minor incident to start. A powerful vampire had built up subordinates, and was identified as a threat. They had to fight it.

"It was there that, once again, tragedy struck. The incident would end the career of one of the most experienced, respected hunters; Mima. Her injuries were severe enough that she would never fight another fight again.

"Once she was down, there was nothing else for it; Gensokyo's biggest figures had to take action. And so, days after the vampire incident and the Mima debacle, the Spell Card Rules, to be implemented by the #1 youkai hunter, Reimu Hakurei, were brought into action. In effect, they would ensure the complete safety of all residents in the land, in battling. It would prevent all injury or death and prevent such mournful events from befalling us again.

"Several beings, mostly youkai, protested against the events immediately. They threatened to break them immediately upon its introduction. This was because we hadn't built what would actually enforce them for real.

"We still don't have a name for it yet. It was built by many of the most powerful beings around then. Names like Yukari Yakumo were among their ranks." _There's that name again._ "It was a magic force that allowed the spell card rules to happen for real. No injury or death could befall a fighter in a fight with its power great enough to surround the entirety of Gensokyo.

"However, they decided to build it alongside Rin Satsuki's resting place. It's right underneath this building. You can get to it from here, but we allow no one to do this. We don't know what could happen down there, and the force is still working fine. It doesn't need maintenance, or anything. Due to where it was made, the Spell Card Rules were initially named by some the 'Satsuki Rules', particularly given it was she who played a part in their formation, though that name has largely been discredited. Even a number of properly powerful hunters still haven't really heard of her today.

"Fortunately, by 2003, it was built in time for the rising of another vampire; from the Scarlet Devil Mansion, who forced a scarlet mist upon the sky."  
>"Remilia Scarlet. I walked into the SDM rather by accident when I first arrived. But it was only Sakuya Izayoi there. She was welcoming to me."<br>"...My, you've already been getting places here, haven't you?"  
>"I'd say so."<p>

"But yes. Since this was the first real test of the Rules, it was to be tested by the two best in the business that were still left, wanting to fight; Reimu, and her long-time friend, Marisa Kirisame. Remilia was one of the most capable that had hit Gensokyo, and she lived on causing what was in effect injury to humans. But no one there came to any harm. And so, they would eventually defeat her. Marisa was the one who actually beat her, although really it was very much a joint effort. Mostly, they were just too busy rejoicing the one important thing; the Rules had worked. And with them around, they had won."

"Reimu was the first person I encountered here...woke her up at 3 in the morning, so she was not happy. Is she always like that, though?"  
><em>Byakuren takes this one. <em>"Well, she's not the happiest of souls. Much easier to anger, or displease, that's for sure. To be fair to her, she's not had it all easy recently. She's better now, but she went through a very harrowing phase some years ago...it'll come up at some point in this."  
>"Anything to do with your religion, maybe?"<br>"Oh, no, she'd got back to normal after I set up. However, though I don't like to admit it, I don't think she's really the best side of Shinto..."

_Keine carries on._ "You said, you met Sakuya Izayoi, right?"  
>"Yes, I did."<br>"She's up next in all this."

"She joined in with her fellow humans for the next incident in 2004 – where the spring had arrived...but the winter hadn't left. This one was a scrappy one. Her, Reimu and Marisa slipped up a lot. The perpetrators might not have been as powerful as previous, but the conditions in which it was all happening took their toll on them. In the end, it drove Reimu and Marisa to near breaking point, leaving Sakuya to fight the head of the incident, Yuyuko Saigyouji, alone. And she did it. However, it was believed that she really lucked into it and that the other two would have managed in less extreme circumstances.

"What they didn't realise was that Sakuya's victory was very real. Unlike Reimu, reliant on skill and technique, or Marisa, reliant on flashy power, Sakuya is a more defensive sort. She makes herself hard to hit and uses extra powers to make her knives make their mark. This strategy of looking at their bullets, not yours, worked especially well with Yuyuko, who sometimes made herself out of reach anyway." _So she's like the Pittsburgh Steelers of Gensokyo, relatively speaking. Defense solves incidents?_

"Despite this, it was still believed, perhaps rightly, that her overall ability wasn't actually on par with the top two, despite becoming the first person other than them to be put down as solving an incident. Surely she couldn't manage such a feat again, right?

"The next incident came about just 4 months later. The nights had become longer, the dawn delayed way past the normal point it should be. This was down to a false moon, placed by who I call the 'loony Lunarians'. This was the biggest incident yet. Reimu, Marisa, and Sakuya were all back, and they'd taken along some mates. Yukari Yakumo, Alice Margatroid and Remilia Scarlet respectively all went with them, as assistance. Youmu Konpaku also went this time, with her mistress, Yuyuko. With a turn-out like this, Gensokyo was thriving once again.

"I was in this one. I got a taste of Reimu's power the hard way...it hurt. I did help them, though, leading her to the loonies' home, Eientei...she never got there.

"In the Bamboo Forest, Marisa and her ran into each other. A whole ton of misunderstandings, and encouragement by their team-mates, led to the two having a spectacular fight. So spectacular that neither of them won. They both fell from the battle. They would not return.

"Somewhere in all that mess, Sakuya and Youmu reached Eientei themselves. They engaged in a triple battle, with Reisen Udongein Inaba...they both cleared her, and then headed for this incident's culprit, Kaguya Houraisan. With both trying to beat the same person, Youmu blew it. And so left Sakuya clear to take all the credit for an unprecedented second incident in a row.

"That'd be the last full-blood incident she'd be in for a long time. There was a reason for it...

"The last thing bordering on an incident she'd been into until then was a minor one in 2005. Some sort of natural 60 year occurrence was mistaken for an incident, causing a few to try and do something about it. The supposed culprits elected to fight with this different battle style we take sometimes. We call it 'Phantasmagoria'. That's the style these incident resolvers fought us with, even though it's only commonly use in training terms. Despite its minority, many fighters came for it. Even Yuuka Kazami, who we all thought had hung up her parasol for good, came out to fight. Mostly because it was a flower-based incident, but hey." _That's the first I've heard of Yuuka's name here..._

"The reason these sorts of incidents are often so minor is because Reimu is really, really good at 'Phantasmagoria'. She's never lost a fight in it. So she swept past Eiki Shiki, Yamaxanadu – who holds some of the most power in the land, I must stress. It was almost a non-event, but it was at least still a cheerful time...and the best the land would get for a while.

"Mostly, the lack of incidents was down to a state of calm. However, it then transpired that, in 2006, there was a darker reason most had stopped. Indeed, this Chronicle was released...and it was rather ill-received by the fighters. Though Akyuu was completely pleased with it, not willing to change it, and said that no one had complained about the previous 8 instances, this time, all the most powerful characters, all much newer to the land compared to older Chronicles, were displeased with how their abilities had been simply revealed.

"The one who took the biggest hit was Sakuya. Not because of her abilities. Most already knew about those...instead, Akyuu had placed a number of controversial theories within, and as more people heard about them, more people jumped onto them. With Sakuya's image tarnished, she wouldn't fight another full-fledged incident again for almost 7 years.

"Did she mention those theories to you? Is she still hurt by them?"  
>"Yes. She told me how she was left stuck in the mansion after they came out, with people getting the wrong idea about her. Is her reputation better now?"<br>"Absolutely. I think the theories are mostly forgotten now, which allowed her to come back out for the most recent incident thus far. Akyuu refuses to change her opinion, though."

"But anyway. The result of this Chronicle, in this modern Gensokyo, meant that the possibility of an incident happening disappeared almost overnight. Most of the land was left downtrodden by this turn of events. And it meant no one was ready when, come Autumn 2007, a sudden and shocking arrival brought the region to its knees.

"The Moriya Shrine's sudden appearance on Youkai Mountain brought about a huge debate on faith and Gensokyo's future. Its immediate effect left virtually everywhere else in Gensokyo struggling. But it wouldn't have been like this if they didn't mean business...and they did. Indeed, having already left much of the land reeling, their mysterious, young and hitherto unknown shrine maiden, Sanae Kochiya, went down to the Hakurei Shrine, to fight Reimu, with one simple message to leave her; "Come and get us."

"I've met Sanae as well."  
>"Oh, she's come a long, long way since then," <em>Byakuren says.<em> "But Keine will get to her soon enough..."

"So, 'come and get her' is what they duly did. But even though this was a serious wake-up call for Gensokyo, only two people were able to answer it; Reimu and Marisa. The rest of the region was totally unable to help. So off they set on a mission to take out Gensokyo's biggest threat yet. Unfortunately, their effort was not...clean, shall we say.

"Marisa had suffered from personal problems prior to this, and the incident only worsened them. And with them threatening the mantle of her best friend, she wanted nothing more than to see them right out of Gensokyo again. So, I'm afraid to say, she resorted to some very illegitimate tactics to beat the Moriyas.

"Her new-found power allowed her to absolutely destroy Sanae, who really should have been left to Reimu to deal with. However, it almost ran out before she could beat the shrine goddess, Yasaka Kanako. She won through in the end, but she felt the effects of it long afterwards. Though the land had been rescued, word quickly filtered through of Marisa's exploits, and she would be cast in the worst light possible. Supposedly this wasn't the first time she'd crossed the line, and the entire legacy of one of the most beloved people in the region was being brought into question. She was left having to fight fairies in training. She had, frankly, embarrassed herself.

"As another seemingly minor incident wrecked Reimu's Hakurei Shrine – twice – Gensokyo's feeling was at an all time low. But one stunning incident in late 2008 would bring it right back to life.

"With the Moriyas having failed to taken Gensokyo, they went deeper and started working on the Underground. But people only started getting suspicious when geysers started bursting there. Seeing an opportunity, Reimu, shrine repaired, and Marisa, reputation repaired, went for it.

"But they wanted to call upon more people to help them out. However, this was still impossible. So, with the help of Yukari Yakumo, they built a system to allow them to speak to them whilst the girls on the other end did their job. They shared these with multiple people, and so with them in voice were some of the best around, both old and new. Yukari joined Reimu once again, but they would also take Suika Ibuki, Aya Shameimaru, Alice Margatroid, Nitori Kawashiro, and more. They wanted the rest of Gensokyo back in the hunt again, and they got them there.

"It was just as well they did. Some of the underground beings were the most capable fighters seen yet. But Gensokyo's two legends fought through it all, simultaneously rediscovering the joy of a great incident. Their love for the game had been rekindled, and it has remained that way ever since. What almost no one knows is how wrong it nearly went right at the end.

_Now Byakuren makes a mild intervention. _"Before Keine goes on, I should explain how that force actually works. Though it's designed to enforce the Spell Card Rules by ensuring no one gets hurt or killed, it doesn't actually work on wounds. Rather, it works on the attacks themselves. It keeps the power, but reduces the amount of pain it can inflict to almost nothing. However, when it was built, it was catered to a power that matched the highest that anyone back then could hope to wield. This was 2008, though. This is important, as you're about to hear..."

"Thank you, Byakuren. The underground was found to be holding in effect a nuclear reactor in its 'hell' as the area is referred to. The incident might have been fun, but the conditions were getting more hostile than any other before it. The heat was almost impossible. Impossible for Marisa, who cracked. She wasn't beaten by an enemy – she simply collapsed from the heat. So Reimu had to fight the incident's culprit alone.

"And what a beautiful culprit she was. A hell raven, transformed by Yatagarasu into perhaps the most powerful fighter in Gensokyo today...Reiuji Utsuho.

"Somehow, Reimu fought through her way through seemingly impenetrable attacks, the likes of which had never been seen in the land. Then she unleashed her Subterranean Sun...and there was a serious problem. This, somehow, was breaking the power that the Spell Card Rules could hold. Reimu was helpless...and looked...dead.

"What happened next, we don't know. But Reimu suddenly proceeded to utterly annihilate Reiuji in seconds. It was inexplicable, out of nothing, and it gave Reimu an improbable victory. We don't know how it happened. Reimu says she doesn't know herself...it was very surreal. That was a while ago though...she might have found out since. I'll have to talk her out again."

_Byakuren interrupts again._ "It should be stressed, we haven't repaired the magic force downstairs to accommodate this. It's too dangerous, few people know how to work it these days, and for the most part, it is still more than good enough these days. Reiuji's attack was one simple exception and it was based on power, so you can still beat it with dodging. Reimu was too shattered for that, though...also, Reiuji is very much confined to the underground, so there's no threat of her releasing such hellfire on us here."

"I suppose we'd better move onto the next incident, eh, Keine?"  
>"Yeah. Let's get your palaver done with...haha. Hers' is a tough one to explain."<br>"Isn't it just. Want me to try and explain some of it?"  
>"Absolutely, Byakuren."<p>

"The geysers there had blown what would eventually become my temple out of the underground. It was still a ship back then, though. And its occupants, Toramaru Shou, Minamitsu Murasa, Ichirin Kumoi and Nazrin, with this development, formed a plan to head to Makai, to revive Buddhism as a whole by reviving I, Hijiri Byakuren."

_Keine now speaks again._ "Down on the ground, in what was now early 2009, Reimu and Marisa, still fuelled by the experience of the last incident, decided to hunt down the mysterious flying ship that had started moving from nowhere. What they didn't plan on bringing was a third fighter with them.

"Totally unannounced, Sanae Kochiya, who'd previously been trying to get rid of the pair, now wanted to side with them. She appeared to have succumbed to this newest dose of 'incident-mania'. So with no real option, Reimu and Marisa reluctantly took her with them, believing that she wouldn't be much help. They were very wrong.

"Instead of lagging behind her far more seasoned associates, she matched them right from the start. This revelation left Reimu and Marisa to slowly accept her, and rightly so. Her talent was staggering. No one has ever had as much potential as her. So, with that, Byakuren, tell Chaz here what happened next..."

_Byakuren raises a silly smile, passing off the banter._ "Yes. So, all three of them made it down to Makai. Reimu and Marisa had been there before, over a decade ago. Sanae most definitely hadn't. But as the beaten crew unsealed me, the trio faced me. I took offence to their motives towards youkai...so within minutes of my awakening, I had the three best fighters in Gensokyo onto me.

"I tried, really, I did. I got them all at some point, at least a little. But coming down to the last spell card, I launch my Legendary Flying Saucer at them. It didn't work. They were all right at their peak. Nothing was going to hit them. The question was...who would get me first? They fired away, and all lined up for a final blow. They set them off at all the same time..."

"And then, what did you feel hit first?"  
>"...Pain." <em>Hah. I suppose that's about right. <em>"I mean, I thought I was going to die...I didn't know the Spell Card Rules, or anything really, then."  
>"She always does this, Chaz." <em>Byakuren smiles smugly. <em>"So, Byakuren. _Which one of the three hit you first?_" _Obviously they don't actually know, otherwise Keine would have it down...  
><em>"...I don't know." _Yep. Keine just looks despondantly in silence for a moment at her.  
><em>"OK. So...yes. We don't actually know what hit Byakuren first. So as a result, even though the three of them took care of it all by themselves, we can't actually put any of them down as solving the incident."  
>"Does that mean no one beat me?" <em>Byakuren's playing along with this. In spite of what actually happened to her, she's not taking this seriously. To stay cheerful through something like that is admirable.<br>_"...Look, you. I will find one day who hit you first. You must be able to find it somewhere in you...come on."  
><em>Byakuren just smiles the smile of a person who is winning. But I need to hear a bit more now.<em> "What happens next, then?"  
>"Oh, of course! There's not long to go, Chaz. That's probably as good as Gensokyo has ever been, but whatever."<br>"Well, apart from when I built my temple. But yeah. It's been a bit...annoying since then." _Byakuren rolls her eyes. Ooh, I wonder what this could be..._

"First though, Keine might as well go through the aftermath of the 'UFO' incident, so called because of the UFO treasures that ran around the place as it happened."

"While Reimu and Marisa debated about who hit Byakuren first, Sanae went off to fight someone who was part of a common tradition among all these incidents, that I haven't brought up yet.

"Typically, after an incident, an even more powerful fighter arises, often connected with the culprit. And believe me, they are very, very good. However, Reimu is especially good at fending this lot off. That's the biggest argument for why she's the best around; she can fight the best of the best like no other.

"She's beaten Flandre Scarlet, Ran and Yukari Yakumo, Suwako Moriya and Koishi Komeiji. Her track record with them recently has been a bit off, though. Before this, the only one she couldn't fight was my best mate, Fujiwara no Mokou. She was still hurt from her contretemps with Marisa, so Sakuya went and did it instead. My hakutaku felt the full force of her then...oof."  
>"Hakutaku?"<br>"Oh, that's just what I am. Don't pay it much mind. It's only a problem on the full moon. And that's not really that close."  
>"She'd just close the museum if it became a problem, anyway," <em>Byakuren points out.<em>

"But yes. This time since she was too busy dealing with the previous fight, so Sanae instead went off and beat another associate of Byakuren's, Houjuu Nue. She actually barely broke a sweat, and then afterwards..." _She points at Byakuren to speak..._

"Yes, she helped make my temple. Helped turn it from a ship to a temple, and I can even turn it back if I want. Though she wanted a worrying number of pictures with Nue...poor girl."  
><em>Hold on, what about faiths?<em> "Surely there was a faith problem there, though?"  
>"Ah, here...not really. They agreed to help us out for a little bit of money. We do fight for followers sometimes, but they take mostly humans while we welcome mostly youkai, so it's not that big."<br>"Fair enough."

"Now, though...Keine, let's just move onto the third one, shall we..."  
>"Yes, Byakuren, your favourites."<br>"Sigh..."

"So, 2 years later, in 2011, the seal to the Hall of Dreams' Great Mausoleum, home to some of Byakuren's rivals, the Taoists, was opened, forcing diving spirits into it to see the resurrection of one of their Saints, Toyosatomimi no Miko."  
>"That name's a mouthful as well..."<br>"Just Miko." _Byakuren's main rival, I see. She's displeased..._

"Yes. The problem was, she planted her temple right under it, to get back at them. So her temple was done for when it went off." _Byakuren just looks on disapprovingly. She is not amused._

"With Reimu, Marisa and the new golden girl Sanae heading off, hype for the latest incident was at an all time high. Now nicknamed 'The Holy Trinity', even a year off hadn't stopped the residents from seeing them as the best group the land had ever seen. Ultimately, though, the incident failed to capture the imagination.

"The opposition seemed rather...weak. I'm not saying that just to cheer up Byakuren. They literally weren't as powerful as the previous incidents' culprits. And yet despite this, two of the three heroes completely fluffed their lines.

"Miyako Yoshika and Kaku Seiga were not the most powerful in the land, but they were certainly nuisances. And normally those don't get in the way of Reimu and Marisa...these two did, though. Yoshika's slow but steady tactic completely caught, and tired, Reimu out and eventually left her out of breath and power. With her mate helpless, Marisa took up the challenge – only to be joined by Kaku Seiga, who promptly proceeded to put hers and Yoshika's evil right into Marisa. And so she lost in an even more painful manner.

"With their job done, Sanae was left open to fight the Taoists. But with them still half-asleep from revival, they didn't stand a chance. Sanae made it look easy, and took down Miko without a hitch." _Byakuren looks particularly miserable now. Clearly wanted one of her bunch to take care of it._ "

"When word got back of her victory, Gensokyo was smitten for her. She'd already become a sensation with her UFO exploits, and now she'd beaten the Taoists. She was Gensokyo's new little angel." _Ahh...wow. She really seems amazing. I've talked to her, and everything. I wonder..._

"She then promptly decided to use this new-found popularity on several parties...with plenty of new, fresh outsiders in reserve, thanks to a new influx starting." _Hmm...I appear to be part of that. But it must have been going for a while..._ "Mostly men. If you've met her, you might know what that means..." _Oh wait. Hold on..._ "Yes, she spent her new love on sex. Such is the desire of an ex-outsider, it would seem...are there any people like that outside, where you are, Chaz?"  
>"...Yes. I know quite a few with that sort of rep. But...I know why people here would like Sanae..." <em>Hint hint.<em> "I didn't expect her to swing that way, though."  
>"Oh, were you maybe..."<br>_Oh, puh-lease. _"No, Keine."  
>"Just checking..." <em>A cheeky wink, implying I'd take someone like that. <em>"Don't worry, though..." _Mmm?_

"But yes. Never before had a reputation changed quite so severely. Not entirely negatively, mind, but without question, in barely a week, Sanae had turned from the local hero to the local bike.

"May I?" _Byakuren now wants a word in._ "So, as you heard there, Sanae was too...'busy' to deal with anyone else, while Reimu and Marisa still had to recover from their rather...embarrassing, shall I say, defeat..." _She smiles a little._ "However, the youkai who I had sent to take care of it had arrived late; Futatsuiwa Mamizou. She was late, but people still noticed her. However, with the 'Holy Trinity' down, it fell to Youmu Konpaku, of all people, to defeat her. That was her first real victory ever, and it even hit the news ahead of Sanae's antics for a while. I have a little respect for Youmu with that..."

"So what's happening with Sanae now, Keine? Why hasn't she...tried anything with me yet?"  
>"Sanae's realised her errors now. I'd say, and I think she told me, that she's 'come clean', so to speak. She's wasted a little of her astounding potential, but I feel she'll be back for real very, very soon.<p>

"Sanae wasn't back for this last incident, mind. She was in the 'twilight' of that phase, 2 and a half years later." _Oh my god! Sanae was doing that shit for two and a half __**years**__? _"It was certainly dying down, but she was still carrying that notoriety around. Indeed, when Reimu and Marisa tried looking for her under concerns that their own weapons were going haywire, not only did they not find her, but Sanae never had problems with her weapon anyway. They found someone who did though...Sakuya Izayoi.

"The incident itself was nothing special. It was just Reimu and Marisa dealing with some more lukewarm culprits while Sakuya reacclimatised to incidents. In fact, it took until the last battle for one of them to slip, with Reimu making a mess of Shinmyoumaru Sukuna's Miracle Mallet making her bigger, leaving her looking rather pathetic and leaving Marisa free to take the incident by herself. Reimu even let Marisa take on and beat the strongest of the resulting tsukumogami – an object youkai – Horikawa Raiko. But that's the last incident we've had yet, and with that Gensokyo is currently at peace...and has been for a while."  
>"And we'll keep it that way, thank you very much," <em>Byakuren adds<em>.

"I think that'll be enough for today. It's about to get busy out there. You've heard a very good deal already. The first part."  
>"Awesome. That was brilliant insight for me. Thank you, Keine, and Byakuren."<br>"You're welcome," _they say in unison. They smile and laugh a little at the same time, too. Both very pretty ladies._

"Chaz, when are you available to look at the second part, then?"  
>"I've no idea, Keine. I'm still relatively new to the place, despite this. There's stuff I might have to do, and stuff I might not have to do. So it could be any time."<br>"Don't worry. You're exactly halfway through, so I'll remember the point exactly."  
>"What do you show me next time?"<br>"Ah, well. It's more about you. You can ask plenty of questions and we'll answer them."  
>"Ooh, sweet. I'll ponder some to ask in the meantime."<br>"Absolutely. Go ahead and do that."  
>"Alright. Thanks again, you two have been fantastic. Anything out there to do tonight?"<br>"Plenty. Everywhere will be stocked, all sorts of people will be around, introduce yourself to them. You might see some proper characters here. Like, the ones we've told you about."  
>"Sounds like a plan. Right then, until next time, you two. Bye."<br>"See you next time, Chaz!"  
>"Farewell, Chaz."<br>"Bye bye."

Wow. That was brilliant. The best bit of Gensokyo yet. I've got to find out more about the place. Because Keine and Byakuren really seem to know it all. Still, though, as good as that was, now I have something completely different in front of me.

Because yes, the Village is starting to get frantic now. Stands starting to get busy, groups of people around, talking, laughing, doing anything, really. This is lively, fun, free, this...is a Saturday night. Let's go.

* * *

><p>It's coming up to 8pm. It's still been pretty mad. Everyone has been buying everything from everywhere. Many of the shops are still open at this late stage. However, even though she's stressed it's not actually in the Village, Byakuren's temple seems the most popular meeting point. I suppose it's the landmark of choice around here. Countless humans, youkai and either humans or youkai in equal measure are here. A few of them are probably quite powerful. I didn't talk to that sort, though. All in all, it's very lively.<p>

I actually already spoke to a guy who owned a second-hand shop, one of the most popular ones even by this time's standards – the outsiders in particular visit him frequently. He was very 'in' with Gensokyo. He might even know some of the best fighters around. Also, he was pretty hench...he gets on the weights, that's for sure. One thing he did say, though, is how this new boom in his business was putting what had been 'an aching sadness' further behind him. I wonder what he means by that...?

Think I'll head back now, though. At the end of the day, I am still penniless. Of course, on a day like this, the freebies have been dished out like confetti, so I'm far from starved.

Closer to home, there's more humans around. Though some could be youkai. Again, I just don't know. Don't care. Hold on, there's a few more around this bit. Oh, wait! Sanae's here! Right, that'd explain the slight commotion around there. I think.

_So I walk over to her. She gives me a wave. _"Chaz! You're here! I was going to tell you something great."  
><em>Ugh, how do I approach her now. It was a little cheap of Keine to give away her darker past like that...let's just forget about that now.<em> "Sanae! Hello, good evening."  
>"Yes, good evening. Sit down." <em>I place myself next to her on one of the benches. <em>"So, I was gonna say...you know that thing we were planning with the underground set? Well, we've agreed to have a party down there!"  
>"Yes! Can you get me in?"<br>"I already did that. So, be ready...it's on Tuesday."  
>"Wow, that's soon. Rather short notice, no?"<br>"That's how it works down here, I'm afraid..."

"So who else is coming around?"  
>"We should be getting several people from Youkai Mountain into it. The tengu get to face the oni at drinking! That'll be awesome."<br>"What sort of drinks?"  
>"Sake, of course."<br>"You having any?"  
>"Ah, well I'm...in my mind, I'm one of those people who should never have alcohol. I go off the deep end really quickly. But...given the nature of the occasion, it won't matter too much. I'll have some." <em>God, I hope that wasn't something she did back then...actually, it probably was, wasn't it. That's why it lasted so long.<br>_"OK. I'll have plenty. I'm good with it at parties, personally."

"Obviously, there should be plenty actually in the underground going too, and if anyone else wants, they can come. Ideally we'd like less of the residents who've been here longer, but we don't mind either way."  
>"Even the other faiths?"<br>"Oh yeah, if they want. Since we've got multiple faiths down there anyway...though I'm not on the best terms with them."  
>"You helped them out with their temple, though..."<br>"That wasn't my choice. Kanako decided to go ahead with it. I just wanted a pic with Nue...she's an alien! I think."  
>"They did it though...you should be on good terms with them."<br>"Maybe so, but...they're just taking away more of our faith!"  
>"What difference does it make? They do youkai, mostly. You do humans."<br>"Yes...but it's still faith! I want more and more."  
>"That's a bit selfish..."<br>"Yes, I know...ugh..."

"Have you realised that before, Sanae?"  
>"Yes. A little. I shouldn't be greedy, really..." <em>She knows it, too. Hmm...I dunno...<em> "I've been getting better, but faith is what I'm here for, after all. We can't accept anything less than first place."  
>"What lengths do you go to for it?"<br>"I've gone very far in the past. Too far, I think. Right now, we're just letting followers come to us, but that's just so slow...I wish there'd be an incident to help us with that, at this time."  
>"You want an incident? Not peace?"<br>"Well, obviously the residents want peace...but youkai hunters like me actually want youkai to hunt, sometimes. I mean, I just wish one of those down at the temple would set something off..."  
>"Didn't you want them for faith, though?"<br>"Yes! But...well, come to think of it, I don't like youkai anyway. They can just stay there, for all I care! Or not be faithful at all, so they can get kicked out of Gensokyo."  
>"But that's the point of the land..."<br>"Fine. Just keep them calm, then."  
>"But then you can't have an incident..."<br>"...Aaaaaargh! This is all bullshit." _She's really getting emotional, here...this was a bad idea.  
><em>"Such is the unfairness of life, I'm afraid..."  
>"Yes...that's why...I- no, I shouldn't say. I just need to be normal...just do my job."<p>

_Quite a lot of people are pointing us out. They think I don't know...but I do._ "Why is everyone pointing at us, anyway? I'm not sure it's just because of you, Sanae..."  
>"Oh, I wouldn't worry about that. It's just...ordinary in this place, really. I'm used to it now." <em>And I know why it's happening. God, this is awful...<br>_"Well, it's getting bloody annoying-"  
>"This is a little risky, at this time...I don't..."<br>"Huh? What do you mean?"  
>"...Look, Chaz, I don't want to say this, but I think it'd be best if we talked later."<br>"What's wrong, Sanae?" _I know there's an issue here, but I really don't want to leave her...  
><em>"Look, I'm sorry. There's just a couple of problems I'm having at the moment. I've been having them for a while, but it seems they won't go away. So..."  
>"Sorry if I brought them up, or anything..."<br>"No. It wouldn't have mattered..." _I don't want to see her like this..._

"Shall we have that call we wanted later?"  
>"Don't worry, Chaz. This is enough. I'm staying out here for the whole night, anyway. It would be impractical."<br>"You don't want to be here, though..."  
>"No, I'm hanging around for tonight, but it's just...being with you. It's not good right now."<br>_...Why?_ "Have I done anything bad, Sanae?"  
>"Not really...just, this isn't the right time to talk. We need to do it more...privately. That's best for me. Are you fine with that, Chaz?"<br>_...Well, if you put it like that, it's actually better. _"...Absolutely. I'm fine with that."  
>"When can we talk again, though? On the phone, at least."<br>_Oh god, that's a good question._ "...Well, my schedule is getting filled up at the moment. Problem is, I don't actually know what the schedule is...I've got a lot of people asking me to do stuff at the moment. I've got one, maybe two jobs to handle, Gensokyo to explore, and this party coming up. I need to make sure I can keep living here first. Is that OK, Sanae?"  
>"...I understand. We're both busy, so we should just...do what we should, really."<br>"You can wait until Tuesday, right?"  
>"Ah, of course. That'll be fine." <em>She's smiling now. Ahh. <em>"...It'll only be the proper humans and youkai around, the ones I know best. So you'll be all right."  
>"That's great. Seriously, though...should I just go right now?"<br>"Well, you'll have to, I'm afraid. Sorry..."  
>"Alright..."<p>

"...I wish we could talk more than this, Chaz. You're so much better than all the other outsiders."  
>"Thanks, Sanae. That means a lot."<br>"Now, quickly...go."  
>"Bye, Sanae..."<br>"Bye, Chaz. See you on Tuesday..." _Sigh..._

Can't believe it. Really, really can't believe it. Just being there triggers that reputation towards Sanae. It's not a great tag to have, really...but the way it's still put on her is sickening. In a way, I don't even care about it now. And it's especially dampened by those bloody good looks.

I turn round for one last look, Sanae's allure still capturing me. There's so much there, all of it sublime. Superb. Stunning...seductive. It's just a shame, that she knows, or knew, it too...and so did everyone else. And I don't care. I've seen her. And now I can't stop thinking about anything else. She's just too good for me...

...Right, fuck this. She doesn't even want me to meet her in public...so let's not think about her there either...oh, but I do want to talk to her so, so much! It's always so nice to have a friend who's really fit. If Sanae is that person here, I won't argue...

OK, seriously. I'm just gonna head back home now. The fact is, I can't do anything about this. And she's certainly not the most important person in Gensokyo right now. We're just...friends...

* * *

><p><strong>…<strong>

"Nitori!"  
>"What, Tensai?"<br>"You are the one who knows their way around Gensokyo! Where do you suggest we put this body?"  
>"Well, how deep do ya need it?"<br>"...Hold on. If you are asking that, I will need to confirm just how great this-"  
>"What, don't ya know already?"<br>"Yes, Nitori, but I need to confirm! Now, I shall call upon my sweet assistant, Koibito. Koibito!"  
>"Yes, Ms. Tensai."<br>"Whaddya mean, sweet?!"  
>"Ah, my fellow kappa, it is a rule for scientists like me. Your assistant must always be sweeter than the person doing the job!"<br>"What, you call her sweet? She's just got blonde hair and brown eyes with her face. Many other people have that!"  
>"Sorry you don't look as good as me, Nitori."<br>"What?! You're saying I look ugly, you little bitch?"  
>"Quiet, Nitori! I need to study the body."<br>"...My apologies."

"...Ooh, yes. Ooh, dear. I see here...now, this. This power has not reached her yet. She is not even aware of it. But this...this...this could become very powerful. There is a lot of it in here. It would be dreadful if it were to fall into the wrong hands."  
>"So, Ms. Tensai?"<br>"Koibito, I need no more. Thank you. Nitori, you must put her in a deep place. Any idea where that would be in Gensokyo?"  
>"Well, if you mean by deep..."<br>"And hostile, as well. We need as little contact with her as possible. We can worry about her when necessary. Somewhere we can interact with her at a good point."  
>"Hmm...I think I know just the place."<br>"Please explain."  
>"Well, there's this building, down in the Human Village, right?"<br>"Yes. She is human as well, I must stress."  
>"OK. Well, there's a lot of stuff to do with Gensokyo there, right? However, I think they've got this one place, where they keep...nothing. Nothing that I know of, for certain. So, what if I put her there?"<br>"Are you sure that no one can make no contact with that section of the building, Nitori?"  
>"They keep it pretty well locked up, Tensai. But, with the power of optics, that will be no problem!"<br>"Hmm...I understand. You are able to do this deed right now, yes?"  
>"Right here, right now! We're colleagues now, no matter how different we are."<br>"Indeed, Nitori. Just try not to resort to insulting my choice of glasses, thank you very much."  
>"Whatever you say, four-eyes."<br>"Goodness me...be gone, and I don't mean with just your optics."

"OK then! I'll stick that body so far down, no one will get to it again!"  
>"No! We must!"<br>"God's sake, you. Of course _we_ can get to it! Just...not anyone else."  
>"Fine. Do it, for us."<br>"Laters..."  
>"Goodbye...<p>

"My word, what a silly kappa she is. As if her blue hair isn't more unorthodox than my perfectly ordinary light brown bun...she believes my circle glasses are worth taking her false sense of superiority out on me...despite her being a very shy one behind the mask. Useful, yes. Friendly, no..."


End file.
